Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle
by Meggin Lane
Summary: Set post AHBL. Dean has to face one of the biggest moral delemas of his life as he realizes that the only way to redeem his soul will mean he has to believe in fairies.
1. Chapter 1the Encounter

Chapter 1-The Encounter-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer-don't own 'em. Just love 'em. Wish ta 'ell I could work for Kripke.

The premise is that during a hunt for one of the escaped demons the brothers run into a fairy. Her name is AH-rii she is smallish in human size and a kick ass bounty hunter from the Everafter-- not your typical pixie dust sprinkling Tinkerbelle. The truth is that fairies, humans and demons live in worlds that sometimes touch each other. The rule that they are supposed to abide by is that they are not supposed to mix. So when the gate to hell was opened it sent a vast ripple of energy into the Everafter and AH-rii was given a dual assignement by the royal court of the Fey to recapture and return those demons back to hell and repay a long standing debt to the Winchester family.

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The scene opens with the brothers tracking a demon in the woods. In the mornings early light Sam and Dean are moving cautiously, like a commando patrol, guns drawn, keeping themselves hidden behind tree trunks, and peering out with quick glances. Suddenly a ball of energy with a fiery tail hits Dean on the forearm, he cries out in pain and drops to his knees. Sam runs to his fallen brother firing off a shot at the beast. The demon dashes away and just then a bright flash of light causes Dean and Sam to shield their eyes. They both wrinkle their noses while they begin to open their eyes.

"Ohawugh!" Dean coughs as he clutches his wounded arm.

"Sulfur!" Sam hisses.

"It sure shed a lot of its stink." Replies Dean.

The brother's eyes meet. Still wincing from pain Dean gives a nod in the direction of the smell and they both carefully part the thick underbrush to make their way toward the light that had flashed.

There in the center of a small clearing a petite woman sails through the air feet first, ninja like, and lands a tremendous kick to the chest of the demon. The blow sends the demon backward to the ground and she is quickly all over him. With moves like a cattle wrestler the little warrior has him handcuffed with silvery manacles and surrounded by a circle of power that shimmers with magic. She stands back to face the demon, who now , is in a very foul mood.

The boys note that she is small and lithe. She has short dark hair and pale almost lumanescent skin ...and pointed ears.

Dean thinks she is dressed like a Goth biker chick down to her very comfortable boots that look like black converse high tops.

Sam see's that she's wearing some kind of a uniform that has has extra padding for protection on the shoulders, elbows, knees, chest and that it is dark green _and _skin tight.

They both note that she's holding some kind of weapon in her hand and that one of her ears has what looks like a Blue Tooth communicator on it.

And when a twig on the bush they are holding back snaps, she coolly swings her weapon around and points it at them.

From experience Sam and Dean know that discretion is the betterpart of valor so they drop their weapons and raise their hands at the same time.

When she speaks it is not the voice of a girl like you might expect, but the low sultry tone of a full-grown woman with a trace of an accent-Irish/Scottish?

"Don't you boys know hunting season on demons is over in this part of the County?" She says.

Dean gives her one of his rakish smiles and counters with, "You don't look like the game warden to me, Darlin'"

" And you two don't look like demon hunters to me." She snarks back.

Behind her the air around the demon begins to shimmer as it writhes and bellows in anger and frustration. And then it is just gone-- leaving the silver manacles on the ground.

Not even aknowledging the disappearing act she keeps her weapon pointed at them and says: "Now if you two would oblige me and kick over your guns we can chat like civilized people."

With their hands still in the air both Dean and Sam exchange a glance, then shrug and lightly kick the guns toward her feet. She makes a small a motion of her left hand and the space around the guns begins to shimmer until they are surrounded in a box of energy. Keeping her eyes trained on them she stoops to retrieve the manacles and in one smooth motion holsters her weapon. A smile that is more of a smirk shapes her lips and she gestures that they can put their arms down now. " So what are a couple of nice humans doing chasing such a nasty thing like that on a lovely morning like this?"

Dean has lowered his arms and now cradles his injured right arm with his left.

Flustered Sam says, "Humans? You mean you're not, uh, of course you're not, you are…..?"

Dean says, "I'm guessing Spock's Daughter, from the planet Vulcan right?" He looks at a Sam and takes his left hand away for a moment from his injured his arm to gesture at his own ears –pointy see?

The refrence is lost on the fairy but she's intrieged by their demenor. " You two are remarkably calm for having just seen what you just did. I take it this is not the first demon you've run into?"

" No ma'me." Dean replied. " You see my brother and I have been hunting these things ever since the gate opened that let them out."

Sam adds, "Yeah, we tried to stop it from opening at all, but managed to get it shut again before they all got out."

" You two were at Colts Gate?" She says frowning at them.

"Yes." Answered Sam. " And now we have to hunt down and destroy as many as we can."

Just then Dean's pain from the wound he suffered flairs up again and he clutches the arm tight to his chest. He can't help but let an "Arrrahgg" escape, as searing heat pulses in the wound again.

The little warriors' posture and tone of voice changes from wary inquisitor to concern. "You're wounded. Hell fire wounds will keep on burning unless you get them tended to quickly. Here," and she reaches out to him, "let me kiss it and make it better."

Sam stammers and gestures back the way they came, "Uh, we have some Holy water back at the car…"

But with firm insistance she says "That will take too long besides; my kiss will work now and have lasting beneficial effects." Then she frowned and pursed her lips. The boys thought she looked determined but she was really in the middle of an argument with herself as she tried to decide just how much Intel to give them. Then her look sofened and she said "You see I carry tiny healer/repairers infused in me and once they contact any injury they will begin to heal it instantly." (This is nano technology taken to next level) " Besides hadn't your mother ever said she could kiss a hurt and make it better-where do you think that expression came from?"

Dean stood before her in a defensive posture, holding his arm close to his chest and said, " Our mother died when we were both young. A Demon killed her."

Sam looked down with sadness at the reminder.

And the fairy's face softened to sad compassion, "Then you've been fighting demons all your lives?"

Dean holding his arm, face pinched in pain and Sam's sober expression and and slumped shoulders said more to her in their silence than words could have. _They both were so brave and had the burden of so much pain in their hearts._

"Then come here," She offered gesturing toward the base of a tree, "and let a fellow soldier field dress your wound since we ALL are in this battle together."

With that Dean gives his head a quick nod "ok" and lets Sam lead him over to the nearest tree where he slides his back down against the trunk to sit at its base. Sam crouched down beside him and the fairy followed. Wincing, Dean rolls up the torn and burnt sleeve of yet another flannel shirt he'd never be able to use again and held the burned forearm out.

She bent down and ever so gently pressed her lips against the wound. Tiny sparks flowed from her lips and onto the injury. Dean was braced for more pain. But within seconds the pain was gone. She stood up and stepped back to get something from one of the many pockets concealed in her uniform. Dean studied his arm in amazement as he watched the flesh literally began to heal itself before his eyes.

"Here, let me spread some of this herbal salve over it" She said, "It's going to itch something awful while the skin repairs and this will take the edge off."

Both Dean and Sam kept looking back and forth to her and the arm as she gently smoothed salve on it while it healed. In moments it was done and you couldn't tell there had ever been any damage.

Dean looked up at her his face beaming in relief and joked as he rolled the torn sleeve back down. " Hey you don't suppose you could work your magic on this burn hole could ya; this was one of my favorite shirts."

Standing up to her full height of 5 feet the fairy placed her hands on her hips and said in mock affront " The Fey don't do laundry."

Sam's curiosity is peeked at her refrence and had to ask, " So, you refer to yourself as the Fey. What exactly are you?"

She went over to the shimmering box that held their guns and with a push of a button on her wrist turns off the force field and scoops up their weapons." My name is AH-rii and my people and yours have had some history together. I come from another place that is similar and close to yours but hard to cross over to unless you know the right spots. Only at those places the fabric of space is thin and our worlds touch. Your folk have always called us Fairies." She tilts her head back and laughs, "and I bet you have been told a wild tale or two about us."

Dean says," More than one or two. I thought you would be a lot smaller and have wings."

" Uh Yeah, I get that a lot," She replied, " but we're not so different than you. A little smaller," she gestures toward Sam who is standing now. He smirks back good-naturedly, glancing down at his feet and back up again. "More gracile, she shrugs, some minor differences in biology. But like Lions and Tigers the basics are the same."

Sam's voice held wonder as he asked," But you can work magic?"

Dean doesn't take his eyes off AH-rii as he says to Sam, "Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle."

Rolling his eyes Sam gives Dean a look that says _please not now_.

AH-rii runs both hands through her thick curls and tries to explain, " Magic is relative. Back in the Everafter it's just normal. It is part of us, who we are. Here different physical laws apply. Our natural abilities are diminished so we rely on technology."

All the while she is thinking about how much she can disclose. _On the one hand I don't want to talk down to them but on the other I must adhere to the law of limited intervention._ She opts for a fairy tale version of the truth and sighs deeply to begin.

"As a race we are older than yours and haven't gotten into quite so many wars that we had to stop and start our culture over again. From almost the beginning we sought to work with the forces that govern the universe; not to try to harness or tame them and in doing so we enhanced our abilities and stretched our potential to the point that we can incorporate the natural power that is all around us."

Dean says: "Ye-ah, like 'the Force'?"

" Dude!" Explodes from Sam's lips as he looks down at Dean for once again reducing info down to a movie version explanation.

Dean shrugs his shoulders and dismissively frowns back.

"So." Sam continues, "You can tap into, what, magnetic flow, Thunder and lightening, Tornados?"

" Rainbows?" Dean mocks.

" That would be Leprechauns." AH-rii snarks back.

Both brothers snap their heads back to her and say "Huh?" in unison.

AH-rii tosses her head back and laughs, "It is said by our folk that you humans could one day surpass us if you chose to go that path." Then as if reminded she turns her focus on inspecting their guns. She deftly removes the ammo and hands the unloaded weapons back to Sam.

While this is being done Dean rises to his feet and a thoughtful expression settles on his face, "That demon you caught; we had been tracking him for three days. I thought we had done all the research we needed to but we hadn't run across their ability to toss balls of fire like that." And he gestures with his healed arm. "If you hadn't been here... and did what you did…(he glances quickly over to Sam), well, I don't know what would have happened." Extending his hand to shake he says "Thank you".

AH-rii smiles and for the first time he see that she is pretty; there is a glow about her that is captivating. She steps forward and takes his hand. They stand there for a beat of three seconds and then she places her other hand upon his and moves forward, lifting her head so it is near his neck and deeply inhales. Both Dean and Sam are startled by this "custom" and exchange a look. Still holding his hand AH-rii steps slightly back and as the radiance of her spreads toward him, Dean finds himself beaming back at her.

A bloom of emotion begins to fill Dean's heart. All he can see is the ocean blue depth of her eyes and the loveliness of her face. The world around him dims and it is only she that stands before him. He can't, doesn't want to, take his eyes off her. He feels that if she asked he would do any thing for her, just to be near her.

What he is feeling are the full effects of 'Glamour'. The thing that fairies are known best for-bespelling humans to get what they want. More powerful than any truth serum or mind control he'd experienced before, he is caught right in the cross hairs of her power and there is nothing he can do about it. Then she lets go.

He finds himself still smiling but can't quite focus, " What... wa, was that, a kind of Elf gangsta shake?"

AH-rii smiles back and answers in a breathy voice, " I just had to drink you in. It is an old custom, that if you receive a boon from one of us you must barter something in exchange. I helped heal you and you just gave me the warmth of your smile and let me get a sense and measure of your heart."

Dean's smile falters a second as he realizes that what just happened was not something he had any control over. He suddenly sees her for what she is. She represents "otherness" like the kind they often choose to hunt.

In a wary tone AH-rii then says, "But there is more to you than meets the eye Dean Winchester."

He reacts with just a raising of his eyebrow, he half expected her to know more than she had let on. But when had he mentioned his last name to her?

AH-rii then added, "but you smell of truth. It is one way the Fey can learn if they can trust someone."

She reaches out her hand to Sam and says, "Do you mind?"

But Sam is spooked. When she turns her gaze to him, he takes a step back.

Then she smiles and that radiance surrounds him. The wariness on his face softens to a shy smile and he shrugs then reaches out and engulfs her small hand with his.

Dean can't move, "Sam!?" He says. He knows that something bad could happen but he can't seem to clear his head to take action.

AH-rii coyly tilts her head and crooks her finger motioning Sam to bend down as if for a kiss and she takes a short breath beside his neck, then springs back weapon drawn and glares at him.

Sam stands there confused, he keeps still and holds both arms away from his sides palms up in a non threatening gesture. And glances to Dean for help.

Seeing Sam threatened breaks the hold that was on Dean and he steps between them waving his arms back and forth in a placatingly manner saying, "Whoa, Whoa. I don't know if he's got a clean shirt on but it can't be that bad!"

" Please, I .. I'm not…dangerous." Sam adds.

That's right," Says Dean, "he IS pretty harmless. So what do you say you put your piece down and we talk about this. What spooked you?"

" I smell a taint of demon on him." Was AH-rri's tight lipped reply. " More than you get from just being near one. The smell comes from within. He has been marked."

Dean and Sam exchange a very meaningful look.

"When the demon killed our mom… he did do something to mark Sam. But we killed that som-o-bitch when we closed the gate." An agonized look crosses Dean's face as he turns toward Sam; " I thought the mark was broken then and there."

" Yeah," Nodded Sam in nervous agreement, " it should have been right? Look we are not your enemies," and he gestured toward himself and Dean, " we are hunters just like you."

Keeping her weapon trained on Sam AH-rii spends a heartbeat thinking. And for all three time stands still. Then she flips it back into its holster and straightens her shoulders.

"No," AHrii says, " not like me." Anger and frustration flash in her next words, " What is it with you Winchesters? You live such short lives, how long, seventy, eighty years tops? And you are so quick to give that up to save each other. She shakes her head slowly as a great emotional outburst builds.

The boys look really confused now, she's not going to kill them but she sure seems mad enough to, but why?

"First your Mother, then your Father and now Dean is ready to throw away his…." Shaking with rage she stops abruptly.

Sam's eyes widen. " How did you… know?"

And it's Deans turn to look back at her in anger, " It's easy Sam, she Vulcan mind melded me when she got close enough."

" But what did you mean about... our mother" Sam asks cautiously.

Dean tilts head back in challenge, "Yeah. And none of that 'Once Upon A Time' crap either!"

AH-rii hangs her head, she has just broken THE rule, she let her emotions override the first tenant of intervention. She should never have mentioned their Mother's role in this. But she must complete her assignment which is to payback a debt owed by her people to a woman who struck a bargain with the Fey in order to ensure that the only child she thought she would ever have be safe.

Next-the Reveal

I had originally tried to write this in a script format, but quickly got in over my head. Thanks to some kind encouragement I am attempting to rewrite the begining chapters to narrative style, and it DOES flow much better. Please take the time to read and review this updated format. And -!!thankyou!! to those that encouraged me to keep tweaking.


	2. Chapter 2 the Reveal

Chapter 2-The Reveal- Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer-Don't own 'em, Just love 'em-Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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" Ok, this could take some time" AH-rii said, " we'd better find a good place to camp."

Sam gestured back to the direction of the Impala and says," We're staying at a motel the next town over.. You could come back with us..."

Dean's eyebrows shot up and he hissed at Sam to get in a huddle a step or two away from hearing distance.

"Do you think that's a good idea? We don't know who or what her game is, but she just roofied me better than Andy ever did and I don't think we should invite her for a sleep over. What if she whips more of her magic on us?"

Smiling AH-rri says, " Uh Boys, I can still hear you." And she points to the device on her ear." Sound magnifier."

Dean scowls at her.

Sam apologetically gestures toward his brother and says: "Look, from what I've read of the Fey, their word is supposed to be their bond. Is that true?"

Directing her reply at Dean AH-rii answers, "It is."

Sam pressed on, "So if we ask you not to try any Magic funny business on us…"

At this point Dean interrupts." That includes making us want to 'cluck' like a chicken."

Sam says in exasperation, " Dude!" And then rolling his eyes adds, " That would include anything that would harm us... or be embarrassing."

AH-rii stifles a giggle and says, " Yeah, sure- no harm, no fowl."

Sam pauses then his face breaks into a huge grin and he wags a finger at her and says: "That was very good."

Dean looks confused, " What? That's it? No harm, no foul-truce?"

Sam says to him, " No fowl. Get it? F-O-W-L"

Impatiently Dean says," Just make her agree to no foul play ok?"

Sam nods at AH-rii.

AH-rii nods at Dean and rolls her eyes, " Yeah whatever."

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As the three of them emerge from the wood and approach the car AH-rii stops a moment to admire the Impala. She reaches out to touch the driver's side door handle and says in an almost reverent tone, " I have never ridden in one of these before."

Dean scoots up from behind her grabing the passenger's side door and opens it for her gesturing with mock gallantry toward the back seat. "Guests ride in the back."

Sam shoots his brother a 'could you please be nice?' look as he stood beside the front passenger side door. Then he turns to say to AH-rii, " Yeah, that's kinda rule number two."

All three get in and slam the car doors shut at the same time.

During the brief car ride AH-rii looks like a kid in the back seat her eyes twinkling with discovery. She is about the size of a small twelve year old; so her head just about makes it above the back of the front seat.

She says, " What's this?" and begins to lower the back seat window down.

Dean looks in the rear view mirror and scowls. "Hey,don't mess with anything back there."

AH-rii no sooner puts the window back up than she's found and opened the lid to an ashtray.

" What's this? Phew! Smells bad, do you put burnt offerings in this?"

Dean glares at the back seat via the mirror. "Don't make me have to pull over…"

Sam puts a hand over his mouth to cover his grin.

AH-rii starts to bounce in slow motion upon the seat, her head appearing in the rear view then disappearing. Dean grips the steering wheel tighter and growls, "Sammy!"

Sam openly grins as he turns to AH-rii and says, "Hey uh, he doesn't like it when you mess with his car. Could you not..."

AH-rii stops the bounce and leans forward putting both tiny hands on top of the front seat to rest her head between the boys and says," Well, if I must just sit, do you have any music to listen to?"

Dean said," Fine, but diver picks."

Sam turns and is almost nose-to-nose with the little fairy and says in a conspiratal tone, " The famous rule number one. And gives her a dimple sparked smile.

AH-rii smiles back enjoying the 'Dean teasing ' game she is sharing with Sam.

Suddenly AC/DC blasts from the back speakers and AH-rii jumps at the loudness.

" Dude!" says Sam.

Covering her sensitive ears until they can adjust to the volume she slowly puts her hands down and begins to nod her head to the beat. "MMMmmm, rock and roll." She smiles and head nodding closes her eyes in appreciation.

Dean looks in the rear view mirror and begins to smile then nods at Sam. "Well, ahhlllright. Never under estimate the power of Rock and Roll Sammy."

Sam smiles back, shaking his head.

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The motel is perhaps a little seedier than most they have stayed at. As Dean unlocks and swings the door open it reveals a wall-to-wall rust colored shag carpet that barely matches the hints of orange in the faded autumn leaves wallpaper. An autumn leaf motif privacey screen separates the tiney foyer from the sleeping area behind it. Once past that and along the wall to the right sit two sagging double beds piled with rumpled bedspreads and the boys cast off clothes. Immediately to the left is the kitchen alcove. Further along that wall facing the foot of the beds, is a not so new TV and in the far corner is an over stuffed chair that opens to a single bed with a small table next to it, directly beyond that to the rear is the bathroom.

Sam pushes past Dean and begins to grab the clothes and stick them in a duffle.

Dean enters with AH-rii who sniffs and wrinkles her nose. The air is redolent with testosterone.

Dean strides over to the fridge and grabs a beer, ."Sam the happy housekeeper." he says making a mock salute in Sam's direction.

With some note of exasperation in his voice Sam replys over his shoulder, " We DO have a guest."

"Hey, I'm being hospitable." Dean says as he offers AH-rii a beer; bottom of the bottle first.

AH-rii closes the door behind her and shakes her head "no" to the beer offer.

In an appoligetic tone Sam says," We, uh, don't splurge on accommodations when we travel" Then sits on his bed and pushes the duffle underneath it with his foot as he gestures toward the chair with his hand at AH-rii, " Please have a seat."

Dean flops down on the other bed and stretches out."Ok, now that we're all comfy why don't you finish telling us what you know about our Mom?"

"I will," AH-rii says then her tone suddely becomes serious. " but first Dean Winchester let me tell you what it means to trade your soul."

Dean freezes mid bravado and Sam swallows hard and looks pale.

"You see while you're alive you are a lot like that car you drive. Your body is like the body of the car-just a shell. In your case a rather _nicely_ designed shell but just a shell. The mind is like the engine- it helps perform all the functions that make the car go. And the soul is the driver of the car, it chooses which road the car will travel down."

AH-rii paused to let that analogy sink in.

"Now when a demon takes your soul, he's getting a driver. And trust me, the roads he chooses-- you don't want to travel down. Usually there is nothing much left of the person that once was, so it's like a zombie at the wheel but YOU have made enemies down there. Any demon worth his sulfer would get a load of fun out of keeping just enough of you around to be able to torture as he directed you to undo every bit of good you've done while you were living. You don't want to be a driver for a demon Dean."

Both brothers sat in stunned silence as the truth of her words sunk in.

Then Sam asked, " How is knowing this going to help us... now?"

And Dean added. "Yeah and how does any of this lead back to our Mom."

A sigh escaped AH-rii as she steeled herself to reveal the truth. " Ok this is what I know. Your mother was approached by the demon you slew long before either of you were born."

Both boys exchanged looks.

"You see she was told she could be barren and she so wanted a child. Your father and she were very much in love and longed to have a family together. The demon propositioned her after hearing her prayers for a child, -listening in on human's prayer is an old demon trick and..."

Dean sat up anger in his voice."Our mom would never bargain with demons!"

"You're right, and she never did-- she bargained with us."

Both boys sat in stunned silence.

" What?" Sam said.

"She couldn't shake the demon, AH-rii continued, " he told her that in her heart she just as well had signed over her first-born son to him. That it didn't matter about the details he would see to it that she had her child but at some given time in the future he would claim him back as his own and there was nothing she could do about it. Of course a demon could never have control over such a thing, new life- it's too positive-he was lying to her; but she didn't know that."

Sam sat mouth agape.

Dean then voiced. " But he didn't come for me it was Sammy that…"

"Yes, AH-rii placated, "well you can imagine how panicked she was. Her church didn't believe her, your father had had no dealings with the unknown then, she could NOT tell him; she had nowhere else to turn. So she returned to the beliefs of her ancestors. Belief in the Fey and how they would always honor a debt no matter how old."

Sam said, "Wait a minute; you mean the Fay owed our mother a debt?"

" What kind of debt?" Dean asked.

" A very long time ago, centuries in fact, an ancestor of your mothers rescued a member of the Fey from the clutches of a demon. It was his bravery that created the debt. Oh, he was offered many things for payment, riches, eternal youth all manner of power during his life, but he would have none of it. 'Just hold to your promise to help a member of my clan when the time comes, no matter how long it takes to call upon the gees;' was his bargain. And the Fey accepted. Centuries rolled by with the telling of the debt becoming part of your mothers family history-just a story they would tell; they thought nothing real to it. But your mother believed. And when the demon had her backed into a corner she invoked the gees and the Fey answered. She had her first-born son (nodding toward Dean) and when the demon came around he could not break the enchantment that protected you."

Dean suddenly looked disappointed, "She always used to tell me that it was angels that were watching over me." Then his tone changed to anger, "But Sammy, what about him? That yellow-eyed bastard came back for him!"

Sam's face contorted in shame and rage. He gripped the edge of the bed so hard the knuckles on his hands went pale. Then he stood suddenly and yelled at AH-rii.

" Some good your Fey protection did for our family, the demon still came back and our mother died because of it. He still got through to me! And now Dean might loose his soul to one!"

AH-rri put her face in her hands visibly shaken. She raised her head slowly and said. "You're right it did not go down the way we thought. She had another child and the enchantment did not extend to you."

Sam pulled himself together and said almost too calmly. " So you covered our mother for the first child but not for the second or any others she might have had?"

AH-rii responed in a definsive tone, " The enchantment that was cast was very specific, because the demon's threat was very specific-only the first-born son was threatened."

And Dean said, " Oh and demons are such good sports they'll just say, 'Oh, well guess we got outsmarted' and just give up-right?"

AH-rii was stung by the anger in his sarcasm and hung her head when she replied. She said softly to the floor, "It was flawed in that it did not cover alternatives."

Sam sat back down and said in a voice filled with pain and anger. " So that is all her death, my marking and the cost of Dean's imortal soul is to you, a series of unforeseen alternatives? People died, that same bastard took Dad too,our lives were forever changed and that is IT?!!- unfortunate alternatives?"

The air in the room was filled with tension when AH-rii spoke again softly." The fey do not fail often, but we did in this. When the demon came back a second time to claim you, we HAD let our guard down. It was your mother's dying wish that we save you Sam Winchester, that we save both her children." Then AH-rii snappishly added, " And we did, it was messy but circumstances were set in place so that you did evade the demons grasp."

Dean shouted, "He died you Bitch!"

AH-rii jumped down from the chair and stood with both hands on her hips."Yes, but that made him well clear of damnation didn't it? And that would have satified the gees had you not turned around and offered up your soul to the next demon you bumped into Dean! YOU had been their first choice after all; and what did you do-you just had to go and hand yourself right over to them anyway!"

Dean got off the bed and stalked over to AH-rii and bent down to to face her nose to nose. "What the hell choice did I have, none of your fairy dust sprinkling friends ever thought to reveal themselves and explain the rules to me. Or would that have been too easy?"

AH-rii was vibrating with rage and it looked like she was going to take a poke at him. But with teeth clenched and speaking very slowly she said, " I am here now to make it right. The Fey always repay a gees."

Sam (-remember Sam-) interrupted.

" STOP IT! Just stop it.' He says and puts his hand on Dean's back. At his brothers touch Dean plunks his ass down beside Sam at the foot of the bed. Sitting they are both just about eye to eye facing the standing fairy.

After a second or two of a glaring match Sam speaks his voice errily calm, "Are you telling us now that you are going to make it up to us by getting Dean out of the demon's contract?"

" I am." the fairy said.

In his same calm tone Sam replies, " AH-rii, how can Dean or I believe you. I mean you admitted yourself that the Fey dropped the ball before and you KNOW that choice of having death as an option is not what our mother would have ok'd."

Dean spoke next adding," Yeah, from what I've seen, the idea of helping is more of a game to the Fey. And then the corners of his mouth turned down and his lower lip did one quiver, "Now, I barganed ...with the only thing I had... and that contract seems pretty iron clad to me! And I 've made my piece with it (at this point Sam grabbed Dean's shoulder and silently squeezed it).

Both brothers eyes begin to fill and Dean's voice cracked just a little: "How can I get my hopes up... that you are going to take this seriously... and actually help us?"

" Because its personal Dean Winchester. The fairy maid your ancestor rescued was MY mother." And AH-rii strode off into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

Sam and Dean just looked at each other, then looked at the bathroom door.

Dean spoke first in a rather bleak sounding voice as he got back up to grab another beer. " Freakin' Fairys..."

Sam sat with a puzzeled look on his face and then said, " Her Mom? Dude, how old would that make HER?"

Next-The Angle

Please review -I need to hear from you as much as I need to write.


	3. Chapter 3The Angle

Chapter 3-The Angle-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle-

Disclaimer-Don't own 'em, Just love 'em-Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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AH-rii stood in front of the bathroom sink. She was still shaking with anger and not a little fear. The hollow sound in Dean's voice when he said he'd made his peace with what waited for him haunted her. Anger flared in her heart, how could anyone make peace with that? The raw look of desperation she'd seen in his eyes belied his stubborn attempt to show his resignation. Plus (it's always the little gestures that pack the most emotional punch) when she witnessed Sam reach over to touch Dean's shoulder AH-rii had to leave the room because their fear and their sense of loss was too hard for her to see.

_These humans! This job! The Fey pride themselves on never being bested in a deal but it seems that her folk had really bungled this one. Surely there was a way out of this? There always was an angle; she just had to find it._

Dean had gotten up from the bed and stood by the kitchen sink sipping slowly on the beer. But Sam needed to do something so he pulled open the single bed from the convertible chair. The damn thing wouldn't fully open.

" Little help here?" He asked his brother.

Dean replied." You're do'in just fine Sammy, maybe try jumping up and down on it." And took another sip of beer.

Sam looked back at the "Z" shaped metal frame that protruded from the chair and then back at Dean and said, " Look, this thing is frozen, or rusted, it's not going to budge. One of us is going to have to give up their bed…"

"Whoa no," Dean exclaimed, " I am not sleeping on the floor. You wanted this sleep over so you…"

Just then another fireball burst through the front door, through the privacy screen and landed on the first bed setting it on fire.

Dean threw the beer bottle in the sink and in a crouch made his way over to the fire extinguisher by the fridge. Sam flattened himself against the wall behind the chair and put his hands up like a wide receiver. Dean tossed him the extinguisher and Sam started working on the blaze. The next instant Dean had positioned himself by the gapping burnt hole where the front door had been, his gun drawn.

The smell of hellfire kicked AH-rii into action and she burst out of the bathroom. Holding her weapon in front of her with both hands she dashed past Sam and made a bee- line for the smoldering ruin of the door.

Before Dean could say, "HEY WAIT!" She was through the hole and firing pulses of white light at the demon that had tracked them there. Then after a really harsh, bright flare the demon's bellow shook the air.

Dean poked his head out past the smoke around the door and saw the shimmering circle surround the wildly raging beast. It was not cuffed this time and it pounded its huge fists against the silvery curtain that contained it. AH-rii turned to Dean and motioned for him to get down. "There may be more!" She shouted over her shoulder at him.

Dean stood with his gun in both hands, barrel pointing up, and made a cautious visual sweep of the area but didn't stand down.

AH-rii rolled her eyes and turning back towards the imprisoned demon she pushed the button on her wrist. With a fading roar the beast vanished and in seconds so did the force field.

A soot covered Sam appeared at the door way and AH-rii said, " We can't stay here, more might show up. I have a camp back in the woods that has protecting wards around it and we'll be safe there."

Dean said as an aside to Sam, "I like camping about as much as I like sleepovers."

"When did you EVER for real go camping Dude?"

Dean holstered his gun and started to go back in but began coughing at the smoke billowing out of the room. "Great, I stink of brimstone and no shower tonight."

AH-rii smirked and said, " You'll be surprised at how well appointed my tent is- not roughing it is the Fey's idea of camping."

At this Sam and Dean both flashed smiles at AH-rii and then gave a quick we'll see look to each other.

A while later they pulled the Impala off the road and down a short dirt way that widened at the end into a cul-de-sac. Once out of the car AH-rii placed a small crystal on the dashboard.

" What is that for?" Sam asked.

" It better not New Age anything." Dean grumped.

AH-rii turned toward Dean and said, "It will absorb the smoke and brimstone odors so any demons in the area can't detect the car by the smell."

Then she pulled a small remote out of a pocket, aimed it at the car and it vanished.

Panic hit Dean," Wha! What did you do to MY car?"

"Relax," She said. " it's still there, just camouflaged." She turned and hiked into the woods saying, "Follow me it's not far."

Dean said " This just gets better and better. " And he gave one last worried look back over his shoulder at where the car had been. Then Sam came up and patted him on the shoulder twice and disappeared into the wood after AH-rii. Dean reluctantly trudged afer them bringing up the rear.

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Very soon AH-rii stopped in small clearing and said, " We're here." But nothing was there, no tent, no fire, and no camping equipment of any kind.

Dean looked around and said, " I thought you said there'd be a tent?"

AH-rii had her back to them and holding the same remote that made the car disappear she pointed it in front of her and said: " There is."

And just like that a small dome tent sat before them. It hardly looked big enough to hold her let alone two more the size of Dean and Sam.

Sam looked skeptical and said, "Uh, I guess I'll sleep out side."

Dean just hugged his duffle bag and raised his eyebrows.

AH-rii said, " Nonsense! There is plenty of room." and she bent down and pulled the tent flap back stepping inside.

Sam and Dean stood there for a couple more seconds then Sam went over, bent way down and poked his head into the tent.

" Dude! You should see this; it's HUGE in here." And he disappeared inside.

Dean ducked in and froze mid duck as his mind tried to register the sight.

The interior retained the circle shape but it was ten times bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. A high ceiling arched overhead lit by an abient light. The dome was supported with what looked like living tree limbs from which hung screens of leaves that formed partitions dividing up the space into rooms. Two staircases hugged the curved walls on either side and lead up to a second floor loft.

In the center stood a console covered in dials and switches that looked suspiciously like a large toadstool. Beyond it, past a parted drapery of leaves, sat an oval table with soft cushions circling it. AH-rii said, " Close the flap and I'll set the wards now." And she moved to the console.

Dean dropped his duffel to the floor and turned to find the fasteners but the flap he had just touched was gone. The wall of the tent appeared seamless where he'd just stepped through.

AH-rii flicked a few switches and turned several dials then looked up and said, "The shower is in the back past the kitchen area. It's, uh, not going to be like any shower that you're used to, it doesn't use water, it uses ionized light spectrum beams. They remove contaminants from the skin surface with out the bother of getting wet."

The boys only took a moment to look at each other but Sam was the sootiest from having put out the fire so he headed back first.

He pulled back another leaf drape and went into a semi-circular space whose walls, floor and ceiling were a burnished gray metal. Directly opposite him stood a tall frosted white cylinder about 7 ft high by 4 ft in circumference. On the wall to his left was a small box made of the same white opaque material.

He called back to Ah-rii, " What… is... is it this standing cylinder?"

AH-rii answered," Yes, Put your clothes in the decontaminator–it's like a clothes washer, that's the little white box on the wall beside it. Just touch the lid and it will open."

_Ok_, Sam thought. He quickly got out of the smoky clothes and with them tucked under his arm reached out and touched the top of the small box. A line formed and it slowly opened like a CD player. He dropped the pile of laundry into the box and the lid slowly closed. _Ok, I'm naked and have no clothes now what?_

Sam then turned to the opaque cylinder but could not see any door.

" AH-rii, how do I get into the shower?"

"Same way as the decontaminator" AH-rii sounded closer now, she had moved to the kitchen area. Her voice had the sound of laughter in it when she answered. "Just press your hand against the shower's side and a panel will open. When you step inside the door will shut, and then just close your eyes and light beams will trace over your body. You can move about, but for best results turn slowly with your arms out to the side. Once the lights go out you're clean and you're clothes will be ready too."

A few minutes later Sam entered the picnic area looking much more refreshed in cleaned clothes and no longer smelling like something burnt.

Dean skeptically eyed his brother. And Sam did a mock runway turn around with arms out wide as if to say, "See, didn't hurt a bit."

Dean 'harrumphed' and taking his duffle stomped into the shower area. When the leaf curtain closed behind him he looked around the space and froze. There wasn't a thing in here that resembled any bathroom he'd ever seen! He slowly set the duffle down and took inventory of the appliances. There were only two, the tall one was obviously the shower and the box on the wall was the clothes washer thingy but where was the toilet?

The two beers he'd had were having the usual effect now and he had a panicked thought, _"What if Fairies don't…"_ He looked again along the walls but the surface was smooth all over and gave no clue..

He turned his head back toward the kitchen and shouted, "Hey, is there a real bathroom in this place?"

AH-rii answered, " You're in it."

Dean said "Uh, I don't see the.. Do you use…uh...I mean do you ever have to...?"

There was a momentary pause while AH-rii tried to figure out what he wanted, then his request sunk in.

AH-rii chuckled, "Of course silly, remember just like Lions and Tigers?"

Sam, sitting on one of the cushions by the table listened to the back and forth, started to chuckle too.

Dean heard this and began making faces at them from behind the leafy screen. "Just tell me where it is ok?"

AH-rii was trying to stifle a giggle too but said, "Just put your palm on the wall opposite the Laundry cube and the "toilet" will swing out from the wall. She added in mock concern, " Do you need me to come in and show you how to use it?"

At that Sam let a burst of laughter escape.

" No! Dean exclaimed, " I mean I'm sure it's all very easy to figure out and he began to press his palms all over the walls-"Ahem- Er- Thanks just the same." After a few moments of panicked palm pressing a seam finally appeared at the lower right of the shower cylander and out swung an appliance that looked very much like a prison toilet, same dull gray metal as the walls, and just as utilitarian.

_Ok, thought Dean now at least that's something familiar_.

After that hurtle, following the instructions that AH-rri had told Sam for the Laundry and shower seemed easy. But once naked, Dean entered the cylinder with apprenesion. As the panel hissed shut and before the light shower began he had one last unsetting thought as he closed his eyes. _" I hope it doesn't tickle, please God don't make it tickle!"_

Behind his closed eyelids the multi colored flashes made it seem as if rainbows were having their way with him but there was no sensation at all to the dancing lights that played over his body. So it was a refreshed and clean clothed Dean that strode into the kitchen area. He found AH-rii and Sam sitting around the low table and each had a small contraption in their hands.

" Hey, what'd I miss?" Dean asked.

" Dude, Sam said with a voice loaded with enthusiasm, " you should see some of this cool gear gesturing to other objects on the table. He held up the device in his hand, "This one detects life energy, and everything has an energy signature, so you just point it and the screen tells you what life form you're dealing with by its energy reading!"

Dean pouted his lips in a puzzed expression and said, " You mean like a TRI-Corder?"

"Well,… yeah… I guess. Sam said with a Huff.

" The Fey call it a 'Soul Detector', AH-rii explained, " Everything has a specific degree of life energy or soul. Here, you two try them out while I freshen up and then we'll eat."

As AH-rii left the table Dean's eyes followed her till she disappeared behind the leafy drapes of the shower area. _There was something about the way she moved, she was more than just graceful she looked like a force to be reckoned with._

Sam was already pointing the gadget at random objects in the room. " Hey, these beams are real trees!"

"Well, yeah, they wouldn't be growing leaves everywhere if they weren't." Dean snarked.

"No, I mean the detector classified them as a kind of Elm." Said Sam.

Dean pointed his at Sam and said, " You are a 72 thats a C average in the human range- heh heh."

"Very funny, I'd like to think that I was something more than just average." Sam said feigning insult. And he pointed his back at Dean. " Huh, that's wierd." And he began to fiddle with a dial.

Dean said " What, was I off the chart?" And he flashed his spectacular smile.

" Uh, no... hardly even registering." Puzzeled Sam.

" I'm not that much of a Soulless bastard, …at least not yet." Was Deans dark response.

" Not funny Dean." Sam pointed the detector in the direction of the shower area and it came up with a reading for the Elm leaf drapes plus a little something else, Fairy. Beyond the curtain it had registered AH-rii's presence.

Then he swung it around again at Dean and it registered him at the same level as AH-rii. " That can't be right." he said aloud.

AH-rii parted the leafy curtain dressed in a more feminine outfit of dark green and said, "What can't be right?"

" I can't get this to read Dean.' Sam said, " It keeps showing up too low- in the Fairy range."

"It's got to be broken; I'm not a freakin Fairy." His brother countered.

AH-rii frowned at the slur but focused her attention on to Sam."You must have moved the dial too much, here let me see."

She took the detector and checked its readings. She reset the dial Sam had fiddled with then pointed it at Sam. The reading came back as human (plus something AH-rii had already suspected.) She gave Sam and appraising look and then she pointed it at Dean "HHhhnnn, that IS odd."

The reading came back less than two thirds the soul presence as the Human reading should be. It was within the range of Fey. _But how could that be?_

Seeing the puzzled look on her face Dean says, "What!??"

AH-rii took the other detector and pointed it at Dean but the same reading came back. _Something definitely was going on here._

" Don't worry you're definitely human," AH-rii assured, " but your soul energy isn't registering as high as I'd expected it to." She looked up from the detector at two sets of very worried eyes staring at her.

"Uh, Sam why don't you clear the table of gear while I think about this."

Sam began to take items off and put them in their recesses in the walls. But he didn't want to let it drop and said, " I want to know now, is Dean all right?"

Dean was helping clear also and said, "I'm fine, don't feel any different than yesterday."

"That's just it Dean, what if your not fine. What if the demon has found a way to take your soul bit by bit until its too late and we can't get it all back?"

Dean stopped, his hands full of stuff, and shrugged helplessly at his brother.

AH-rii saw the look of dispair flit across their faces and quickly said," He IS fine, besides demons never go for anything subtle like that. First they release the Hell Hound and then they show up to claim the soul. They like the drama, its tradition."

Sam made a quick swallow at the mention of the Hell Hound and gave his brother another worried glance. He remembered vividly his feelings of helplessness and fear at the invisable snarling doom he'd faced when the hound had come for a stranger they were protecting. And all too soon one was going to come for Dean.

AH-rii saw the look of renewed fear pass between the brothers, but she felt a glimmer of hope in that odd reading. " No, she said, "this is something different"- and she walked over to Dean and looked up into his eyes;_I have never seen more remarkable eyes than these_ she thought, long dark lashes framing the warmest hazel that were now so filled with worry. She gently took the items out of his hands and put them down. Then she placed her small hands over his and said, "I sense not harmful, maybe even helpful."

Dean stared down at the small upturned face and saw real concern in her eyes, _eyes that were the color of the ocean just before a storm._ And he saw something else, conviction, by the way she held her chin so stubbornly in the air; _she really did mean to help them_.

But they were running out of time. The year was almost up and try as he had to give up all hope and take what was coming, he still held on to the impossible chance that he'd get out of this and Sam would not have to die again.

" Ahemm…" Sam murmered.

Dean and AH-rii blinked and released their hands.

AH-rii sought to change the mood and quickly stated, " In order for me to mull this oddity over I need to eat, don't you boys think better on full stomachs?"

Dean's smile was instananious, "Always."

But Sam was persistant, " That reading has to be significant, shouldn't we do some research?"

Dean put his hands up, " The lady just offered us some food Sammy, don't you think it would be rude to…"

Just then AH-rii approached them holding a couple of small objects that looked like wooden tongue depressors and said, " I…uh… need to get taste preference samples from the both of you before I can program your meals."

" Program?" questioned Dean.

"A computer does the cooking?" Asked Sam.

Dean asked with a look of disgust on his face, "We're not going to have to eat out of tubes are we?"

" Tubes?" AH-rii exclaimed, " No, the food regenerator takes the chemical traces found on your taste buds and composes the elements to recreate your food preference. Just one sample from you and it will make any meal you like for as long as you, ( her eyes locked on to Dean's)…..stay."

AH-rii gave herself a mental shake and turned to Sam, "Now open your mouth and stick out your tongue."

Sam stood a moment looking down at her and then bent down with his tongue out so that AH-rii could swipe the wooden strip across it. She then turned and walked over to the wall that held what looked like an oven/ microwave combo and stuck the sample into a small slot by its door.

Dean offered his tongue a little less enthusiastically but just as quickly AH-rri had taken the sample and submitted it to the food regenerator. After pushing a few buttons on a keypad AH-rii asked Sam, " So, what's your favorite meal?"

" I don't know, I like steak…Oh, I had some sweet potato curly fries in New Orleans once that were awesome… and beets." He turned to Dean and said, "We never eat beets."

AH-rii giggled at the face Dean made upon hearing 'beets' and asked him, "So what's yours?"

Dean smiled that radient smile and leaned back clasping his hands behind his head, "Oooohhh Man, Bar-B-Q! Texas ribs, couple of ears of fresh sweet corn slathered in butter and oh yeah… that Cole slaw that has those tiny bits of pineapple in it, ah and a beer, no two beers. Oh and Pie-loves me some pie!"

AH-rii caught Dean's contagious smile and turning to Sam asked, " Anything to drink?"

Sam shook his head smiling back at his brother (_how does he DO that_?) as Dean being Dean lit up the room, " Just a beer." He said.

After a few keypunches and a few minutes the room began to fill with the savory aroma of their hot meals.

The boys sat on the edge of their cushions in utter amazement as AH-rii opened the door of the food regenerator and brought out their orders, piled high and steaming; and set them on the table before them.

Within the first few mouthfuls Dean gave muffled praise that it was the best Bar-B-Q he'd ever had.

Sam was totally focused on dangling the long curly fries over his mouth and munching them slowly.

AH-rii beamed at them as they enjoyed their meals while she had a couple of spoonfuls of a stew that sparkled. She watch in amused facination as Sam and Dean joked back and forth.

They were in a place that seemed to shut out all the troubles of their world. The food, the sense of safety, even the presence of this fairy gave them a sense of comfort that neither of them had felt in a very long time.

As she watched them unwind and relax her eyes lingered on Dean and then a very thoughtfull look played across her face. She excused herself from the table and went to the mushroom shaped control console and began tapping at the keys. After a minute or so she banged her fist on the panels top and said excitedly, "I knew it!"

The boys stopped everything and looked in the direction of her voice.

She swept into the kitchen area with a broad smile on her face and said brightly, "Lets have some pie!

Dean said "Weeellll allright!"

But AH-rii held her hand up and said, "First, I've got one condition," and she walked over to Dean and looked directly into his eyes, "I need you to tell me all the details of your bargain with the crossroads demon. But you can't leave anything out or I may not be able to help you if you do. Can you do that for me Dean?"

All the party and fun fled from his face and he looked down at the table and said, "uh-um..yeah."

Sam looked stricken and glanced between Dean and AH-rii.

AH-rii gave a nod to him and started to pick up the dishes and bring them to another wall panel that suddenly appeared. She placed them in the recess it offered and turned back to the table. Taking her lead Sam rose and began to clear the table, glancing back to Dean who still sat his eyes downcast.

" It was just about a year ago that Sammy had gone missing" Dean began, " and I didn't know where to begin to find him. The yellow-eyed demon, that sonofabitch that killed our Mom and took out Dad had taken Sam to this deserted town. And all the kids like Sammy, the ones with special skills, were there for a show down. The last one standing-would be his key to open the gates to hell and release the rest of his buddys."

Dean paused reliving the awful moment in his head. "...I got to Sam too late... (and Dean's voice began to break... he sucked in a breath then gets hold of himself)

"I didn't know what to do. We'd come so far... and lost so much...Mom...Dad and then Sammy!?" He turned to Sam, " How was I going to go on with out you bud?" (Tears start to form in his eyes as he looks up at Sam.) "The only family we've got left is eachother!?!"

Sam eyes begin to fill and his fight to appear to be a stoic listener start to fail.

Dean looked back down at the table for a breif moment and then looked up, straight ahead at nothing, he clenched his jaw, and continued, "I didn't ...I KNEW I couldn't make it without you. This whole fight's gone on so long...I just... I did the only thing I could think of doing to get you back, I didn't care about the consequences."

Sam wipes a trailing tear from his own cheek but keeps his lips pressed tight and doesn't take his eyes off of Dean.

"The time on the road is a blank, I just got in the car and drove till I found a crossroads. The next thing I know this demon bitch is there and she's giving me a hard time about bringing you back. She said if I tried to get out of it she'd drop you where you stood. Look man," Dean says directly to Sam, "I didn't ...DON'T care what it took, ten, five or the one year I got. I just had to get you back" and he looked back down at the table.)

AH-rii reached down and put her hand on Dean's arm and said softly, "You did the best you could-what you did was right because it was from your heart." And her face went from sober to a shy smile, "You may have had a card up your sleeve you didn't know you had." At this Dean looked up to face her.

Sam turned to her, "What do you mean?"

AH-rii answered Sam's question while still staring into Dean's eyes, "I think the solution to the bargain you made with the demon and your odd readings lie in the contract your mother struck with the Fey before you were born."

"You mean fairies lowered my reading?' Dean confusion in his voaice.

" Not Fairies, strictly no.' She answered, " But Our Queen-Mab."

Sam is suddenly incredulous, " Our Mom asks the Fey for protection and you give him a birth defect?"

AH-rii bristles, " Tis, no defect to be granted the protection of Mab. It is more like a pledge of loyalty that, in return, grants us Her guardianship for life."

Both Dean and Sam wore confused looks.

AH-rii waves her hands in the air as if to clear it and says, "But first lets have that pie. I know you'll like it. I call it my 'Freakinworthit' pie, it restores the spirits after strong emotions have been released."

The coffee and pie was served, and Dean admitted, it was 'freak'n worth it' then he and Sam felt restored enough to deal with whatever they were going to hear.

So AH-rii begins, " Let me use your car to explain…"

Sam threw his hands up in the air and said, "Again with the car analogies…"

AH-rii shook her head and continues, "Look, say you needed cash-fast and all you had was your car for collateral- You would go to a bank and get a loan, but have to turn the title over to the bank until the loan was paid back-right?"

Dean and Sam both said, "yeeaah…..?"

" So, do you still get to drive around in the car while the bank holds its title?" She asked.

Dean and Sam said, "yeeaahh….?"

" And the car works fine, just the same as it always did-right?" She persited.

Dean and Sam said, "yeeaah…?"

" So you could do everything you could normally do before the bank loan except sell the car…. because the bank holds the title. So in effect the car really doesn't wholly belong to you while the bank holds the title-it legally belongs to the bank-right?" and she nodded at them expectedly.

Dean and Sam didn't say anything but sat there frowning at her.

Then Dean said, "Where are you going with this?"

"What I'm trying to say is that is exactly like the gees of loyalty every Fey gives to our Queen. The reason that our soul readings are so low is that at our birth a portion of every soul is freely given over to Mab for her use and safekeeping. None of us "owns" our souls because they all belong, in part, to Her."

Sam brow wrinkled and he said, " So you're saying that our Mother gave Dean's soul away before he was born?"

AH-rii smiled back at him and qualified, " Not his whole soul, just most of it-as a pledge of loyalty to Mab, for Her protection."

Dean stood and glowered at AH-rii." What are you smiling about?" Dean said as a tone of angery rose in his voice, " that's the same deal the demon offered her! Mom wouldn't sell or bargain anything that was going to harm us!"

AH-rii is at once hurt and defensive at his misjudgement, "You don't understand, it most certainly was not the "SAME" deal-no demon would make you an offer like that! And besides it was the only way she was going to be able to protect you."

But Sam was cooly analysizing what she said, "How could that protect him?"

"Well for one it would be a very unwise demon that tried to take away something that rightfully belonged to Mab" the fairy retorted, " it would be like poaching in the royal forest. The punishment would be death; and for soul stealing a very unpleasant one indeed."

Suddenly Sam's eyes lit up and standing he grabbed the still puzzled Dean by the shoulders and shook him a couple of times saying, "Don't you see Mom didn't sell your soul to the fairies, she just had a mortgage put on it!"

Dean looked at both AH-rii and Sam as they grinned back at him like they were insane.

"What is this ?" He said looking at AH-rii and sweeping Sam hands off him, "More of your magic spell stuff?" And turning to Sam he said, "Snap out of it Sammy" And he began to give Sam little slaps on his face."

Sam wrestled himself away from Dean's slapping hands and held them both down and said very slowly, in his best 'listen to me I went to law school voice', "Dean, Dean. You can break the deal, you can break the deal and I won't die, the demon can't do a thing about it."

Dean still struggling to get his hands free and slap sense into Sam says, "What, what are you talking about, of course I can't, if she thinks we're trying to break the deal it will all be over for the both of us"

"No," AH-rii interjected, " she can't because of the circumstances surrounding your soul."

"She's right Dean," Sam said and he released his struggling brother, "because the night you made your bargain you didn't-don't own it...Mab has a lien on it." The deal is void.

AH-rii added, "And her threat to kill Sam is based on you KNOWINGLY trying to wheedle a way out. The deal your mother made was before you were born-you hadn't heard about it until now, so you never knew the real condition of your soul's ownership at the time you struck that deal with the demon."

Sam pressed his face in close to Deans and hissed through his widening grin, "You cannot give away your soul-because it is not yours to give."

The light of hope finally dawns on Dean that he just might be saved after all. And a much relieved Sam gives him a couple of big thumps on his back and moves in to give him his famous sasquatch embrace.

But just as Sammy went to grab him in that joyous bear hug Dean felt his knees begin to buckle.

_"Its over"_ Dean thought, _"the whole freakin nightmare of waiting to die is over."_

Sam went from crushing to suddenly supporting his older brother the moment he felt Dean begin to slip.

"Whoa Sasquatch," said Dean, " I just got my life back don't go crushing it outta me!"

Sam guided him back down to the cushion, "He, he, yeah sure…you alright?"

Dean waved his brother's concern away, "I'm better than alright…now" And he gave Sam a 'congratulations to us' slap on the arm. "I'm just kinda wiped out."

"Yeah, it has been kind of a roller coaster ride today." Sam said as he ran his big hand through the mop of his hair.

" You got that right." agreed his brother, " But the ride stopped and we got off in one piece and that's what counts."

" But we still have to apprehend this demon," AH-rii cautioned, " for attempted soul poaching."

Next: The Hitch

Please give me feed back its like coffee and chocolate-never enough!


	4. Chapter 4 The Hitch

Chapter 4- The Hitch-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke.

(For my readers this chapter keeps getting mysteriously deleated every few weeks, so it has been re-written several times from the original. I hope I got all the previous tweaking right. Don't know how the black hole keeps finding it-must be the Supernatural nature or I've pisssed the real fairies off somehow.)

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AH-rii saw the fatigue settle on the two men and rose to say, "You both must be very tired, let me show you up to your rest areas so you can get some much-needed sleep. We will be able to strategize tomorrow."

They grabbed their duffels and followed AH-rii out to the entrance area and up one of the curving staircases to the loft.

The entire loft was a sweeping semi-circle landing. Intertwined branches provided the span of railing that connected the two opposite staircases. And a comfortable distance from the landing were the sleeping quarters; defined by ceiling to floor cascades of leaves that made up all the walls.

AH-rii came up to the first area and parted the curtain of leaves. "Sam I think you will find this comfortable." Inside the ambient light was softer and in the center of the room a big square pad rested on the floor. The bed was made to accommodate his larger frame, pillow, and sheets and blanket all various shades of green and it looked soo good to him. Before he ducked in Sam turned and bent down to be eye level to AH-rii and said, "Thanks for…everything today."

" Awe, he just can't say a simple g'night without putting a chick spin on it." Teased Dean.

AH-rii smirked and gave Sam's cheek a peck and said in mock formality, "You are most entirely welcome Samuel Winchester."

Sam blushed as he stood back up and fired a last retort to his brother, "G'night jerk.

Dean responded with, "night… bitch." And smiling, Sam let the drape of leaves close.

Just a few paces further AH-rii parted the leaves to the next area and said to Dean, "This will be yours." The interior was the same as Sam's. The big bed taking up much of the floor space. Dean looked down at AH-rii's up turned face and said, "And you're going to be….?"

AH-rii's smirk widened into a grin, "I will be in the next compartment over."

Dean looked to his right; Sam was on one side of him and to his left AH-rii. Strategically they had him sandwiched protectively in the middle. It was the kind of bed arrangement his Dad used to make when they were growing up only this time he was the one in the middle instead of Sam. _What the Hell_, he thought, _he'd swap places tomorrow night but tonight he was just too damn tired. "_ Well, night then." He said but turned to say. "And uh…AH-rii…. Thanks."

It was the first time he had said her name.

Dean started to go and AH-rii suddenly thought (wait… say something back quick…") "UH, wait."

Dean turned back and she looked into his green eyes, framed oh so captivatingly in dark lashes _those lashes are so thick they cast their own shadow for sprites sake!_ and she said, "When you call your brother 'Bitch' that is a term of affection right?"

Dean stood there holding the duffle in front him and smiled that radiant smile and said, "Yeah…yes it is."

AH-rii's up turned face took on a quizzical look and she said, "So back at the Motel… when you called me a bitch that was affectionate too?"

Dean's eyebrows shot up and he reached one hand back behind his neck, and began to rub it slowly as AH-rii looked up at him with those ocean blue eyes of hers and the sweetest expression of trust like she was waiting to hang on to his every word.

His mind back peddled furiously (_come on Man, think fast_!), "Well yeah…sorta. Its like slang… we…uh… use it for all kinds of circumstances." (_smile again, bigger, BIGGER this time-go for the dazzel!)_

" Well, in that case," She paused, " night bitch!" And she turned silently giggling into her hand thinking in a sing/song inner voice_,('Love to make that man squirm!'_) as she disappeared behind the last curtain of leaves.

Dean ducked behind his and frowned. He had the unsettling feeling that he had just been played….by a fairy. And as he slipped himself between the softest sheets that ever touched his skin his last sleepy thought was of AH-rii, " _yep, gonna hafta keep my eye on her."_

AH-rri's smile lasted until she had crossed her room. And then the thought that had been troubling her made her turn back. She stood a moment and then resolved to action she walked back out onto the landing.

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Sam had drifted into sleep the moment his head had hit the pillow but something, someone was calling to him... bringing him back. His eyes fluttered open and he was startled to see a small figure in the shadows by the foot of the bed.

AH-rii moved out from the dimmness and into his vision; she was holding an object in her hand, pointing it at him. A weapon?! Sam sat bolt upright but before he could shout...

AH-rii put her finger to her lips." SSHH, I don't want to wake Dean. I need you to see this. She took the object spun it around and held it out for him to take. It was one of the Soul Detectors they had used earlier. He looked down at it and back at AH-rii confused."

"Remember when I adjusted the dial and pointed it at you tonight?" AH-rii whisperd, " This is the reading I had gotten off you."

Sam looked down again. It read 72, the same reading that Dean had joked about 'C Human' "Yeah, so I'm average" (he so did not want to be woken up and reminded of that.)

" No," AH-rii hisssed, " use the scroll down ball by your thumb and get the rest of the reading."

Sam hadn't even noticed that ball before and he moved his thumb down. The screen had added another numeric reading to his 72 666! And his hand sprung open up like he was holding something crawly and poisonous nearly dropping the detector on the floor.

AH-ri calmly took the device out of his hand and said, "In light of this development we need to talk." And she pushed the button on her wrist that created the force field containment circle and the bright shimmery curtain suddenly encircled Sam.

" Sorry Sam, you understand that I can't risk letting her escape?" the sound of pity was unmistakeable in the fairy's voice.

Sam sat frozen.

AH-rii stood and put her hands on her hips.

Then she started to pace before him, " You're a walking bug Sam."

He flinched that she thought so little of him.

" No, what I mean is that you picked up a stowaway during your short stay on the other side and I bet it is the crossroads demon that Dean dealt with."

She added, "Those charms that you wear around your neck protect you and your brother against possession. I believe it was her plan to possess you fully but she was only able to get her foot in the door –so to speak. But she still had you for her eyes and ears."

Sam blanched and looked down at his chest_-she was here, now IN ME!!???_

AH-rii looked directly in his eyes and said, " Everything you say and see goes directly to her. That's how she would know immediately if you and Dean tried to weasel out. Using one loved one to harm another is a very old trick of theirs. In fact she knows we're having this conversation right now-"Don't you- spawn?"

Sam hung his head as rage, fear and despair crashed together in his heart, they were so screwed and it would be all his fault. He clenched his teeth against his anguish and said haltingly, "Dean's not …safe, if she knows that she can't have him…what, she'd kill him ? Me? " Clutching his head he felt an overwhelming sense of self-loathing and guilt at that moment. _Why hadn't he known-sensed something was wrong._ He turned his head away from her to hide his shame and a moment later when he turned back his tear-streaked face looked up at her.

AH-rii thought at that moment he looked so young, so lost as he faced a hunters worst nightmare-one of the monsters was inside him!

Sam's anguished tear streaked face looked up from the bed and a sudden coldness filled his eyes. In a low menacing voice he said, "I….WANT….HER…OUT!"

AH-rii's usually animated face had become still, expressionless. " Not just yet. I want you to use her the same way she's used you this whole year, see with her eyes Sam, look into her blackened soul and find out what she's going to do next. Do this and you can protect Dean."

Sam tightened his jaw in a moment of resolve and said, "Can you knock me out? I don't want that bitch getting any more Intel tonight if I can help it."

" Yes, that would be best, no sense letting her make you loose sleep." And she gave him a little sad smile.

Sam gave her a weak smile back.

AH-rii thought, _' he's a brave one this one, under extraordinary circumstances and he's still keeping his head'._

Sam reached out toward her and pressed his large hand against the force field, and on the other side AH-rii reached out with her small hand did the same.

"I won't leave you." She said and pulled her weapon out from behind her, set it for stun and pointed it saying, "This is going to hurt a bit."

Sam slid down between the covers and folded them back leaving his chest bare, he looked up into her eyes again and nodded once. A bright light punched through the force field and hit him in the chest. He grimaced in pain as his body arched upward, then peace descended upon him and he lay still.

"DROP IT" Said a voice behind her.

It was Dean and he sounded pissed.

AH-rii let her weapon fall from her fingers and with her back still to him said, "Oh good you're up."

Dean slid into the room and said," Kick it over."

AH-rii did and said, "Can I turn around now?"

Dean picked up the weapon and tucked it behind his back saying, "Put your hands on top of your head first... and turn slowly."

AH-rii did and when she faced him a little gasp escaped her. Dean was standing less than four feet away from her pointing a shotgun right at her face. The two big black circles of thedouble barrel loomed in her vision; at this distance it would be a kill shot if he pulled the trigger. But that wasn't what really made her gasp. Like his younger brother he went to bed shirtless and the soft light of the sleep chamber highlighted every curve and angle of his muscle-tensed torso.

A thought of other things flitted through her head momentarily but was swatted away by Dean's angry voice." What… did… you… do to him?"

AH-rii replied in a tired voice, "I helped him sleep."

"And you had to put him in a demon cage for that?"

"It was the only way to secure the crossroads demon that possesses him." AH-rii locked her gaze upon the anger in his eyes"

"What do you mean possess…", Dean hissed, "He's not possessed-we've got protection against…."

" I know," She hissed back, " I know-but they only work if the demon is outside trying to get in."

" What's that supposed to mean?" He growled.

" I need you to see something."was her weary reply.

Dean tensed and said, " I can see every thing I need to right here…"

"Dean, I need you to take the soul detector off my belt and take a reading off him."

He refused to drop his guard to any fairy tricks, " I'm not putting my gun down-I've already seen the reading- he's average…so what?"

AH-rii's tone was filled with sarcasim, "He's nowhere near average. He's not alone, your demon hitched a ride back through the mark he's got when you brought him back over."

Dean had kept his firing stance firm and his eyes riveted to her, but now, flicked a glance over to his brother lying peacefully in bed. He checked the rhythmic movement of Sam's breathing and noted that he did not seem to be in distress. Locking his eyes back on her he said, "How do you know it's my demon?"

"I don't," She concided, " and the soul detector can't distinguish one demon from another, it just tells you that one is in there. But it makes perverse sense doesn't it? How better to monitor whether you try to break the deal than to use the eyes and ears of your own brother against you."

Dean began to lower the gun. He looked stricken. _'What have I done to Sammy?' I was supposed to keep him safe! Selfish, couldn't to let go… I've infested my little brother with one of them!_

AH-rii said softly, "Dean…I'm letting my arms down now."

Dean was still looking at Sam when he uncocked the gun and walked toward the circle. He lifted up his right hand and gently pressed his palm against the shimmering barrier. He could see that Sam's face still had tears that had not yet dried on it. _'Oh Sammy,'_ he thought, _'what have I done to you?'_ With his voice cracking Dean asked, "How'd he take it?"

AH-rii moved toward him and stood by his side, both gazing at Sam as she answered, "Bravest thing I ever saw."

Dean closed his eyes against the tears and let his head rest against the field, his face pinched in rage with himself.

Worry filled her eyes when she looked up and saw the ugly look upon his face, " Dean…?"

The rage inside him spilled over to her, as his face glared back as he growled, "I saw you shoot him."

AH-rii spoke soothingly as she answered, " He asked me to knock him out so she couldn't get any more Intel from him. He's quite a warrior your brother; took a stun to the chest just to keep you safe from any more of her tricks. And now he's resting-Dean-building up his strength for what ever may come tomorrow."

Dean's anger had dropped down to sober apprehension and he said, " Tomorrow? Time's not up on the deal for another two weeks."

"We figured that she knows now there is no deal, but that's not going to stop her from exacting revenge on you. I figure we've got for as long as he's out."

Dean and AH-rii both looked down on Sam's recumbent form then AH-rii looked up at Deans haggard face.

" I've got some elixir that will make sleep come but not so deep that you can't be woken." Dean didn't respond he just stood watching Sam's even breathing. AH-rii needed to say someting that would ease the pain etched upon Dean's face, she wanted to do anything that would lighten the burden on his heart, "Would you like me to remove the wall that separates your rooms? I can even modify your bed to allow you to sit up and face him…would you like that?"

His emotions drained Dean turned to her with a blank face and just nodded.

"Then I'll need the control back." And she held out her hand to him.

It took a moment for Dean to realize that the control was also the weapon he disarmed her of. He cast aside thoughts that she meant to harm them, _hell, if she'd wanted to she could have done so when they first met._ So he reached around behind his back and pulled it out from the waistband of his sweats and handed it to her.

With a few motions of the control AH-rii raised the wall and had the bed repositioned. She moved to the side of it and turned down the covers and said, "Dean climb in."

And a few moments later AH-rii was at his side offering him a steaming cup of tea." Here drink this and you'll rest-you have to be sharp for when he wakes-he will need you strong….we ALL will."

At that last statement Dean looked into her eyes. _'The ocean's color before a storm,_' he thought, '_and there sure as hell gonna to be a storm tomorrow.'_ AH-rii gazed back as he took the cup from her, their fingers brushed lightly in the hand off and he could have sworn he saw her pupils widen a moment.

She turned to move to the other side of the circle and Dean said, "Aren't you going to your room?"

"NO," She answered brusquely, " I promised him I'd stay," gesturing with her chin toward Sam.

Dean saw that she meant to keep a vigil of her own over Sam and patted the space on the bed beside him and said in a voice full of weariness "Stay here…"

For a fraction of a second that seemed to stretch on forever AH-rii could not move. She was torn by the duty she must serve and the attraction that drew her to him. With his bare chest softly revealed by the shimmering light of the circle and his eyes half closed by sleep he looked so vunerable, so inviting. _'Memorize this moment for all the promises of what could be AH-rii,'_ she thought. She took a breath and started to move toward him when she heard a soft snore come from Dean and she stopped… sighing deeply. _'AH, well tis probably for the best, still…mores the pity.' _

Moving over to the other side of the bed and she carefully sat next to him. She gently took the empty tea mug from his hand and put it on the floor. Then ever so slowly reclined with her head on his thigh. For a few minutes she let his scent fill her senses and his closeness bath her in warmth. She looked at Sam sleeping inside the curtain of light and thought again of the remarkable bravery and devotion the two brothers shared. _These humans…_

Next-The Plan

Please let me have a taste of your thoughts-they are as savory as food for this starving writers' dreams.


	5. Chapter 5The Plan

Chapter 5-The Plan-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer-Don't own 'em, Just love 'em-Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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Sam was lying down in a dark place. The last thing he could remember was a blinding bright light and pain; he looked down at his chest, there were no marks_. Where am I? _He thought. _What is this place? _He stood up and looked down at himself again. He had no shirt on, was bare foot and wearing his sleep sweat pants_. Now I remember, I was in bed and I asked AH-rii to stun me… am I dreaming?_

"OH you're not dreaming Sammy" said a sultry voice with a hint of menace, "You're right in here with me."

Sam turned around toward the voice and out of the shadows stepped the scariest she clown he ever saw! _Why does it hafta be a clown?!!!_

It wore a skintight black dress with a slit up one side exposing a lot of black fishnet over very curvaceous legs. She/It had on high-heeled flip-flops –_or were those cloven hooves?_ But the face was all terrifying clown; white as death, grotesque red lips, bulging black eyes with ridiculously long lashes and a red rubber _or was that a burning coal _nose? Sam had to shake his head to focus.

The creature walked seductively toward him and purred, "Come on Sammy don't look so scared we've pal'd around for almost a year now couldn't you be a little more friendly? Then her face shifted to that of a dark haired woman but the eyes were still all black-no whites al all.

Sam sucked in his breath and took one step back. _It's HER! -The crossroads demon-the one that's come to take Dean. _"You're the one he met."

"Yes! And we had a nice little chat…you were the main topic of conversation as I recall."

"You can't have him." Sam said in defiance. "The deal is forfeit."

"Hhhnnmmmm, it does seem that there is a snag in the original terms but you know what they say about WHO is in the details? I can still kill him. I can send the Hound to rip….him….to….shreds-slowly. I think I'd like that, very messy and very painful and you can watch-would you like that?"

"You can't harm him, or me."

"OH but I believe I can. It's my ball and if I don't like the call I'll just take it home -game over."

"I'll Stop You!" Sam took three long strides toward her, his face contorted in rage, and suddenly he felt himself change. His eyes had a kind of fire in them, and it was she who took a step back this time.

The Shedemon looked scared for a moment but quickly recovered and coo-d in a sickly sweet drawl, "Why, Sam just now you looked ever so much more like the leader my Uncle thought you were."

The menace in Sam's voice became tempered with caution as he said, "Your Uncle was the Yellow-eyed demon?"

"The very one, he had such big plans for you Sam. If your meddling brother hadn't kept getting in the way, always turning up at the wrong time or being such a bad boy himself that it would remind you to be better. It was his fault you died you know."

_"HUH?"_

"If your brother hadn't turned up when he did, distracted you…you would have won Sammy I know you would have."

"It's Sam." He spat back.

She fixed an appraising glance at him, "Yes, I can see the potential in you." She began to walk slowly around Sam looking him up and down. "The greater the goodness, the bigger the fall, the evil resulting will surpass all." She/It chanted, " He was right about you. You have the qualities that could surpass all."

Her voice hardened as she continued her rant, "Your brother, however, has been as much of a pain in the ass as your Daddy ever was. And Dean was the one who pulled the trigger that killed one of the great masterminds of Hell. Well, he's just got to pay that's all. And I'll see to it that the plans Uncle had in the works continue. Hell will spill over onto Earth. We will take over and expand our ranks using every available human and then we'll move on to the Everafter and kick some Fairy Butt-the little creeps deserve it for driving us out."

_This bitch is evil AND crazy! _Thought Sam. _She does intend to kill Dean and the demons plans go far beyond tormenting earth for a few years. _"Your Uncle tried to turn me, he failed. You tried to steal Dean's soul, and you failed. Are you seeing any kind of trend here?"

"OH, Sam the day's not over yet. And that Fairy-Ha! Did you know it's her first assignment on this side of the Everafter? A big heart and good intentions will get you…well, you know what they say paves the road to Hell. Oh and just so you know, the Hellhound hasn't been fed in a very, very long time. Tell your brother I said, 'see you later sweet meat.'"

And suddenly she was gone.

"I gotta wake up" Sam said aloud in the empty dark space "Must Wake up" _Its_ _Urgent! Urgent… I hafta tell Dean_…._I have to wake up…I have to wake up, I must tell Dean, AH-rii…there is no time to loose._

Sam's eyes fluttered open_. I'm back, safe. What time is it? _He tried to gauge if the sun was up but the ambient light from the circle was too bright. And as he looked around he saw Dean and AH-rii asleep on a big recliner; they had been watching over him together.

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_She said she wouldn't leave me last night and she didn't. Leave it to Dean to guess something was wrong. Man, he must have had a fit when he saw the circle. UH-Oh….. He knows. _And Sam suddenly felt so bad for the pain his brother must have felt when he saw him inside that circle.

Dean's sleeping form was slumped to one side with a protective arm over AH-rii who was curled up on top of the covers beside him. _She looks so small_, _is this really her first hunt?_ Glancing back at Dean he thought, _well, he didn't kill her so I guess they came to terms. _

"Ahem."….. "AAHHEMM, cough, cough."

Dean mumbled.

"Dean!"

His brother mumbled an answer back in his sleep, "mmmhhuurr sllllllllllllllleep Sammmmee, llil mmorre. Dean's first thought was, _Why does he always need to wake me during the good dreams?_

"Dean, wake up!"

AH-rii began to stir, with her eyes still closed she yawned and as she stretched her hand up she accidentally smacked Dean in the face.

At the sudden contact of flesh Dean talked in his sleep, "uh? Hmmm Baby, a little rough is ok but not in the a.m. at least till I've had my coffee"…... then-BLINK! Dean's eyes popped open—the dream blurring as it retreated and AH-rii's face came into focus- her hands were both over her mouth and her eyes brimmed with laughter.

Sam sniggered, "snort-Awkward! You two should get a room- at least another room besides mine!"

Dean quickly got out from under the covers and went over to the circle, "Yeah, well, you're in a good mood for someone…"

Sam's smile dwindled and was gone. They looked at each other for a heart beat and Dean put his palm on the barrier.

" You ok?" He asked his little brother.

" Under the circumstances-yeah." was Sam's reply.

AH-rii came over to stand beside Dean.

Sam looked up at Dean and said, " I met her, the crossroads demon, and she does plan on sending the Hellhound after you."

Dean looked suddenly paler but said, "No real surprises there."

Urgency filled Sam's voice as he said, "We need to get to the car and get our gear as soon as possible because she said she would strike before the day ends."

"Did you get anything else from her?" AH-rii pressed.

Sam got out of bed and stood in front of her, "Yeah, I found out the reason why opening the gate was so important to the demons. They plan on taking over the whole world! And AH-rii they're not going to stop here. Once they conquer Earth and turn everybody into soldiers for them they are going to attack the Everafter. They want to increase the power that they already have by possessing the powers of the Fey."

AH-rii's eyes widened and a look of horror pasted across her face, "This is bigger, way bigger that we thought. Thank all the sprites you boys shut the door when you did, at least that set them back a little."

" We may have set them back a little more than that," Sam replied, " Dean, do you know who the Yellow-eyed demon was?"

"The sonofabitch that killed our Mom and took our Dad, so what?"

"He was the mastermind behind ALL this and the crossroad demon's Uncle.' Exclaimed Sam, " I don't know if they've had a chance to regroup since he died but I know she's taken over his leadership."

AH-rii interuped Sam saying, " This Intel is more disturbing than you realize. Demons have always made random strikes on Earth and in the Everafter; as creatures they are at their very nature chaos personified. Now, to hear that they have organized and chosen leaders and planning something this big! This hasn't been seen since…..."she let her voice drop and turned fearful eyes toward Dean.

Sam looked at his brother too and said, "Yeah and number one on her hit list is you."

Dean put his hand up to his mouth and slowly stroked the stubble on his chin looking at Sam behind the circle. Then dropped his hand and looked down at AH-rii's up turned face.

" Drop the demon trap." Dean said a decisive tone in his voice.

"Wait," Sam said, " I got the Intel but she's still in here." (and he pointed at his chest)

Dean replied , "You can't help me inside that thing and we have got to get out of here and get this Intel to Bobby so he can pass it around to the other Hunters."

"He's right Sam said AH-rii, " With what you found out we can't just stay here and wait. The ward I have protecting us is just camouflage and since she knows where you are at all times this place isn't any safer than any other." And with that AH-rii pressed the button on her wrist and the shimmering wall of light disappeared.

AH-rii turned to Dean and asked, "This Bobby you spoke of, do you trust him to…and she spread her hands gesturing at her self."

"What?" Dean smirked, " does Bobby believe in fairies?" Dean broke into a smile and said, "Bobby believes in many things but I Seriously doubt he ever met anyone like you."

Sam: was still worried and asked, "But won't I be bringing a demon with me right to Bobby if I go with you?"

" Come on," Said Dean now exaspirated." Sammy there is no way in Hell I'm gonna leave you behind."

AH-rii touched Sam's large hand wtih the tips of her small fingers and said, " with your stowaway you are a very valuable spy for our side. Remember you have to use her ears and eyes to be able to save Dean-perhaps all of us."

"Don't worry," Dean said as he slapped his brothers arm . "if the bitch in you acts up AH-rii will just lasso your ass with that demon circle again."

Sam rolled his eyes skyward and shrugged but turned back to Dean and said, "OK, but if I start to behave like I'm not me and I make any threat to you or AH-rii don't hesitate to..."

Dean cut him off saying, "Trust me, we'll both be keeping a close eye on you, you just concentrate on keeping control over It so you can do what you have to do-alright?" And Dean nodded at his brother. It was a gesture Sam had seen him use many times during their hunts and it meant: _I trust you Sammy_.

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They dressed quickly, packed every thing they could carry and once outside AH-rii pointed the control at the little dome tent; it collapsed into a small ball that she placed into one of the many pockets on her uniform. All that remained of the campsite was a perfect circle of small mushrooms that had started to grow around the perimeter of the tent.

Sam looked at them, smiled, and nudged Dean, pointing at what he saw, "A fairy ring!"

Dean looked where Sam pointed and raised his eyebrows then lowered them in a puzzled frown.

AH-rii, who was over loaded with backpacks and duffle bags, huffed over her shoulder at them, "Yeah, happens every time we break camp. Our best people still can't get rid of that glitch."

For the short trip back to the car Sam was on point, Dean was in the middle and AH-rii brought up the rear as they hiked back to the Impala. Sam carried the colt loaded with werewolf bullets, Dean had his sawed-off armed with shells whose shot had been made with bits of crucifixes and AH-rii had the control drawn and ready.

AH-rii said, "Dean, Sam I'm going out on a limb here, normally there is a ban on Fey technology falling into the hands of non-Fey but I want to train you both in using the controls. AH-rii continued as they walked, "The basic thing is the power that is used. Remember when we first met and I told you that the Fey had learned to harness the natural energies around them?

Dean went to open his mouth but Sam nodded to his brother and said, "Yeah, the Force."

Dean gave him a look.

She continued. " Now you know what a laser is, how it uses a beam of light and depending on the setting it can be used to perform delicate surgery or cut through a piece of steel. The control is like that but the power it uses is not light but emotional energy. All emotions generate a certain wavelength and by concentrating that wavelength the Fey have been able to harness emotional power. Just like a laser beam the concentrated wave of energy can hurt on a stun setting but on full power it can completely obliterate but only if the target is composed of energy patterns of opposite emotions. Like say, a demon, they cannot coexist in the same space as love; it just tears them up on a subatomic level. The containment circle is a good example of a barrier that they cannot pass.

" That stun you gave me hurt!" Said Sam over his shoulder.

"Hey, just a sample of 'tough love' Sammy-he he." And Dean elbowed his brother in the back.

"Cut it out" Sam excalimed and then stopped and asked AH-rii, " So, wait if I wanted to bad enough I could have gotten through the barrier?"

AH-rii paused a moment to look into Sam's face which was a mix of inquisitiveness and keen insight. "You know I think it would be possible to escape the barrier under the right circumstances. It was designed to keep demons either in or out, not humans. And, humans broadcast their emotions, especially the strong ones like Love, Hate, Fear, Joy- they just roll off you in waves; the right emotion coming off you could act like a key to the barriers lock and you might be able to pass right through." She smiled and said, "You have an amazing ability to learn under fire."

Sam blushed and smiled back and said, "You can thank my mentor over there, and nodding his chin at Dean, "he demanded quick responses at lesson time. He'd always say 'you gotta be fast with your hands, feet and mind or you'll be dead faster than you think."

Dean smiled and gave Sam a cuff on the shoulder and said, "No need to thank me-bitch"

" Jerk." replied Sam over his back.

AH-rii was beginning to rethink her whole 'give the weapons to the humans plan' but instead she said, "When we get to Bobby's you can have them with you in addition to your usual gear-when dealing with demons you can't be too careful. And she shrugged her backpack as they continued their pace.

They had only taken a few steps when Ah-rii gasped and went down. Dean turned to see her lying face down and a dark blossom spreading over her shoulder. He dropped to a protective crouch above the fallen fairy.

Suddenly something zinged by his ear. He shouted, "Sam! Incoming-AH-rii's down."

Sam looked back just as a short spike buried itself at his feet and fired a shot at one of two lumpy, misshapen demons that had caught them in a cross fire. Metal rods like knitting needles began to puncture both his and Dean's duffels, back packs and began to litter the ground around them. Dean cursed as one imbedded itself in his arm, but he focused and swung the shotgun around and fired at the ungodly form that held the crossbow. The spray of blessed metal bits tore through the demon and his roar echoed as if he'd been tossed down a well.

The demon Sam had shot wasn't damaged by the Colt and was still firing back when Dean took aim blew it away.

Suddenly a howl pierced the air. Sam spun around toward the sound; Dean froze and squinted in the direction of the sound. Another howl and AH-rii groaned, Dean knelt down beside her and looked up at Sam.

Sam nodded at Dean and said, "I've got this one covered."

Dean answered from his crouched position, "I've got your back." And kneeling beside AH-rii, he began to reload the shotgun from ammo in his coat pocket.

The growling grew louder first to the right of them then to the left. Were they surrounded or was it just toying with them?

Suddenly Sam saw a huge black hound with eyes blazing red burst up through the ground. _I can see it!_

It stood about fifty yards away on huge clawed feet; its back sloped down like a hyena's. The Hound's head was grotesquely large and its slavering maw filled with too many, sharp, crooked teeth. Even from this distance Sam could see the ribs showing through its black matted fur.

It howled again.

Dean got the backpack off AH-rii taking care to avoid the small spike sticking out from behind her shoulder and helped her struggle up to a standing position. they stood back to back in a defensive stance. He had his weapon cocked and ready but she was oddly avoiding hers. They were looking in all directions straining to locate the beast-they could hear it, feel the air vibrate from its feral howls but could not see it. Only Sam could.

" I see it." Sam shouted and took aim with the colt.

Dean shouted, "Where is it?"

" About fifty yards due west." And he positioned himself between fanged death and his brother. The Hound started to slink toward him low growls rumbling from its massive chest.

An eerie calm came over Sam as he faced the beast. He stood with his feet apart, shoulders back and relaxed, holding the Colt in front of him with both his hands. Then like someone had flipped a switch a change came over his face. It was as if the light of humanity had concentraited in his eyes and all that remained was pure cold confidence.

The hound approached slowly, head down and teeth bared making impossibly low growls and suddenly it charged toward the tall young man standing before it. Sam sited down the Colt's barrel and said softly, "Bad dog-sit!"

The colt fired once and hit the dog in the rear flank; it spun around howling with pain but righted itself and kept coming.

In the same even voice Sam said "Stay" and fired again. This time a plume of flame gutted out of the Hounds heaving chest and it went down legs pumping in the air as it tried to regain ground.

Sam strode over to the squealing, writhing black form; pointed the gun at its head and said in that voice that was not his own, "Play dead." And fired one last round into the snapping jaws of the beast.

A skirling wail rose up as the Hellhound's body disintegrated into a rising plume of black dust and then it was gone.

When Sam turned around his face was almost normal, well, maybe just a little scared.

AH-rii was standing on wobbly legs and smiled weakly at him. "You did it Sam you used her vision to see the beast." And then she keeled over.

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"Oh, jeez," Dean said and began gently untangling her from the crumple of her faint. He was holding her up off the wound as Sam approached. Sam bent down and picked up one of thin spikes that were lying on the ground. It was heavy for its size and had a tiny barbed tip at one end.

Dean in an anguished voice told his brother, "She lost a lot of blood, and he held up his bloodied hand to Sam, but not so much to cause this, she feels hot like she's got a fever." Then he noticed the metal rod Sam was holding. "Is that one of their arrows?"

Sam: answered, "Yeah, and from little hook on the end I'd say it was made to pierce then work its way deeper like a porcupine quill."

" That would explain why I can't pull mine out." Dean said and he nodded to the one sticking out of his arm.

Sam grimmaced, " Gross Dude."

"Come on Sam grab the gear and lets get to Bobby's. Maybe he can figure out how to remove these things and can tell what's wrong with her."

Sam ran ahead loaded down with the backpacks and duffels. He approached the place where they had parked the car, put the gear down and pointed the device he'd taken from AH-rii at the empty lot. The Impala in all its black magnificence became visible once more.

Dean had followed a distance behind moving carefully and more slowly with the unconscious fairy in his arms. As he entered the cul de sac Dean exclaimed "All Riiiiight" when he saw his car.

Sam made the back seat a little wider by stacking the packs on the floor, Dean gently placed AH-rii on her stomach along its length and packed the other duffels around her so she wouldn't roll on the barb still protruding from her back. Each got into the car and shut the doors with a comforting heavy sounding ' thunk'.

Next- The Thorns

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	6. Chapter 6 the Thorns

Chapter 6-The Thorns-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle 

Disclaimer-I don't own 'em, Just love 'em-Wished ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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They were heading for Bobby's new outpost about fifty miles away. Some people build vacation homes, Bobby likes to have another compound as backup-just in case.

Dean drove one handed while Sam, ready to assit with two good arms, kept an eye on their wounded guest.

On the darkened backseat of the car AH-rii lay on her stomach whimpering softly. It was driving Dean crazy to hear her. Every time she made a noise he'd glance up at the rearview mirror. And every time he looked at her Sam was watching him.

Finally Sam said, "Uh, Dean?"

Dean broke away form his umpteenth glance in the rear view mirror to look at Sam, "Yeah."

"The crossroads demon told me something about AH-rii too."

" What?"

"It said that this was her first hunt."

Dean slammed his palm against the steering wheel and looked at Sam with a face full of anger and worry. He truned back to stare out at the road and silently seethed and finally he said, "You gotta call Bobby. We gotta give him the right to refuse entry if he feels it will compromise his location."

Sam pulled out his phone and looked down at it, took a breath and make the call

There old friend picked up on the first ring," Bobby?" Sam said.

" Sam, is everything all right? Bobby asked.

" Well, er no, not exactly." Sam hedged.

"Are you or Dean hurt?' the sound of worry had crept into the mans voice.

"We, ah, we've got a situation.' Sam replied. " A friend of ours is hurt, hurt real bad and we really need your help. But Bobby, Dean and I figure you gotta know this first for your own safety."

" You're starten' to scare me boy-who is he?"

" It's a she and she's a…. well, she's not exactly one of us, she a…uhmn.."

Dean scowled at his brother and swiped the phone from his hand.

"Bobby!" Dean greeted the older man with affection.

" What's up with Sam? And what's got him so spooked he can't complete a full sentence?"

Dean:\replied by asking, " Bobby, what do you know about Fairies?"

Silence.

" Bobby! You still there?"

Bobby blurted," You've got to be shittin me! You telling me you've got an honest to God Fairy with you?"

" Well, we won't have for long if you can't help us." Dean implied.

"Dean what's really goin on?" Bobby asked as caution over rode curiosity.

"I'm givin the phone back to Sam." was Dean's ominous reply.

Sam sighed deeply and quickly looked up at the cloth ceiling of the car, he could feel his eyes beginning to burn with tears. He cleared his throat and took the phone.

"Bobby, You know those charms you gave me and Dean to protect us against possession?"

"Yea….."

"Well, they work."

The silence on the other end was not the sound of relief but of Bobby holding his breath.

Sam continued, "But I found out, with the help of this fairy, that the crossroads demon had tried to possess me when Dean brought me back. It couldn't because of your charm, not fully, but it still managed to be linked to me; to spy on every thing I've said or seen for this whole year. Bobby the link isn't broken yet…I…we…can't just show up on your doorstep knowing that we could…That I could be putting you at risk!"

Bobby heard the fear in Sam's voice_, dam kid, just like John; too proud to ask for help if it meant someone else would have to take a risk in giving it._

Bobby abruptly said, " Put your brother on the phone."

Sam passed the phone to Dean saying, "He wants to talk to you."

Dean's eyes widened as he took the phone, he started to say, "Yes sir."

"Don't you sir me! How many times do I have to tell you that you come to me when you got trouble? That includes anything and EVERYTHING you could possibly run into... especially now."

All three were silent for a couple of heartbeats; Dean hadn't even realized he was holding his breath until Bobby spoke again.

" So…. you've got a wounded fairy, what can you tell me about her?"

Dean was astounded, that was it? Bobby hadn't even blinked.

The grin formed so fast and so wide that it hurt Dean's cheeks and he mouthed to to Sam "It's alright" then he launched into the subject of AH-rii, " Wait till you see her Bobby, she's just a little thing but MAN can she pack a punch!"

Bobby thought, _that is high praise coming from Dean_. And he said, "She'd have to be somethin to keep up with the likes of you two."

" She is…And Bobby…she got me outta the deal…with the crossroads demon. It looks like I'm not goin' to Hell any time real soon."

Bobby growled, "Well, that remains to be seen."

Dean loved the man's sarcasm " He-he."

" So what exactly happened?"

" We got jumped by a couple of demons, Dean explained, " and she took a hit. Some kind of metal spike or arrow, I got one in me too but she's bad like it's poisoning her."

The moment Sam saw Dean's "OK" he had begun lip moving –"let me talk to him!" - And finally just grabbed the phone back.

" Bobby!" Sam greeted barely able to contain his relief, "Yeah, her name is AH-rii and she's been rounding up the demons and sending 'em back to Hell, that's how we met her. Anyway, I think it might be Iron 'cause she just went down and she's slipping in and out of consciousness. I've got one I picked up off the ground and it has a barbed end to it. I think it's designed to work its way in deeper as you move just like a porcupine quill."

Bobby's tone had concern laced through it, "Your brother says he's got one in him too, where and how bad is he?"

Sam gave him just the facts, " The left bicep and other than pain like you'd expect he's not reacting like AH-rii is …yet."

Bobby sighed into the phone, " I don't like the sound of it, Dammitall, what in Gods Green Earth are you two going to get into next!! You boys get here as fast as you can; I'll do more research on Fairy biology and don't pick any more fights with the big bad ugglies if you can help it tonight."

Sam had held the phone out so Dean could enjoy the loving tirade of Bobby fussin' at them and it made them smile, he had stepped up to the plate in watching over and mentoring them the moment their Dad died and they had grown to love him like an Uncle and then some.

Dean motioned Sam to hold the phone up to him and Sam put it up to his cheek.

" Bobby?" said Dean.

"You just git that little lady and yourselves here in one piece. I'd like to personally thank her for saving your sorry asses."Thanks man", they both said in unison into the phone.

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At a sign advertising Crazy Al's Scrap Metal Emporium they slowed and followed the chain-linked fence until they passed through the gate.

From the road it looked like an abandoned junkyard but if viewed from above the appearance was more like a military installation. Junk cars were stacked on top of one another forming a wall that spiraled toward the single Quonset hut in the center. It was as safe a place as you could get since Bobby had installed the cameras and the charms.

They stopped the car in front of the old metal building and as gently as he could Sam lifted AH-rii out and carried her like a sleeping child against his chest. Dean gave the rusted metal covered door one knock and Bobby slid it open for them.

Bobby gestured toward the back, " I've got the lab table cleared; you can put her down there."

As Sam walked toward the table AH-rii began to stir.

She clenched her teeth against the pain and opened two bleary eyes; the first thing she saw was Dean's worried face.

Dean reached out and brushed her swet dampend hair off her brow, pausing with his palm on her forehead to test her temp. "Hey," he said softly, "you went down pretty hard back there. But we've got you somewhere safe. This here's Bobby."

Sam carefully sat her on the table and smiled down at her, he kept one hand at her back steadying her in case she went out again.

Bobby stepped up and said, "I was expecting something a bit smaller…"

And Dean smiled at AH-rii adding, "And with wings, she gets that all the time."

AH-rii shakily put her right hand out to Bobby; he took off his beat up baseball cap and gently wrapped his big calloused hand around hers.

In more formality than the boys had ever thought he could posess Bobby said, "Pleased to make your aqaintence AH-rii of the Fey. Now, I've patched up these two and their Dad more times than I can remember so you just rest easy and we'll get you right in no time."

AH-rii spoke softly but with effort. "This projectile is demon made, it's called a Devils Thorn…it burrows into the injured ...as they move…. It must be removed now because it will explode after it reaches a certain depth in the flesh."

Dean looked at his own wound, there was less spike poking out of his arm than before and he gave a worried glance to Bobby.

Bobby locked his eyes onto the rod of metal protruding from Dean's arm and in a voice of sudden authority said, " Ok! Dean you stay here with AH-rii and Sam help me clear the kitchen table off for your brother."

Dean took Sam's place at AH-rii's side and looked down at her with his brave face on. She looked at his arm and her eyes flew wide as she saw his bloody sleeve and the shortness of the Thorn sticking out of it.

AH-rii reached up and touched his face. Her mouth went dry and she couldn't find any words to say, she just looked into his eyes, their amazing color, and felt her own face crumble.

Dean leaned the side of his face into the palm of her small hand and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and then she could feel him slowly exhale, it made his features relax and made her release the tightness that had been constricting in her own chest.

His name escaped her lips, "Dean…"

Bobby came back and announced, " Ok you two, its time we got those things outta you."

Sam had gotten the control out of the car and was getting ready to set it for stun when AH-rii said, "NO! Sam. The control uses emotional energy and that much will detonate the Thorns."

Sam stammered back, "But you need to"… and he glanced at his brother with a flash of panic, "Dean's is so deep…"

Weak from the poison AH-rii struggled to tell them just how despirate their situation was, " I know, we need to be unconscious because the pain will produce emotional waves and that will trigger them too. In a softer voice she explained, "That's why they are called Devils Thorns, because you have to remove them quickly but there are so very few ways to do that…. Without time,or fear, or pain setting them off anyway."

Bobby looked at Sam and at Dean. And then said, "It's time to mix drugs and alcohol boys."

Dean and AH-rii were given pain pills with several shots of a special 110proof liquor that Bobby had tucked away for the all too few times he's celebrated since he became a hunter.

Dean sat on top of the kitchen table pounding shots while Bobby cut the blood soaked sleeve of his shirt off. But AH-rii's uniform was made of tough material like Kevlar and during the ten minutes it took for Sam to carefully cut away just the section around the Thorn; Dean had begun to toast Sam and Bobby and AH-rii as the "besht dam hunters in North America."

During the twenty minutes that followed AH-rii had raised her glass for a few toasts as well and was in the middle of proclaiming "What an honor it hash been to fight by the shide of shuch "Brave and Loyal and Brave-did I mention Hansom? (giggle)" toast when she began to loose her balance. Sam was there to ease her, face down,on to the table. Her giggling slowed while Dean looking up at the ceiling from his table continued to slurr his praise of her fighting skills. In five more minutes they were both out.

Bobby nodded to Sam and they began the job of removing the Thorns. They had to move with the care and concentration of both surgeons and members of a bomb squad team. But as hunters the years of practice tending to their own made the two men surprisingly skillful in this makeshift surgical arena. The wounds were deep and blood loss significant. As soon as the Thorns were removed Bobby had Sam go out and toss them all into the oil change pit out back. Sam flung them in a high arc and no sooner had they cleared the rim of the pit than a huge series of explosions fractured the air tossing Sam to the ground from the concussive blasts.

Bobby came running out, firearm in hand, to see what had blown up. Then he saw Sam lying on the ground by the pit and ran to check on him.

As Bobby could see Sam was whole but obviously shaken by the blast. He helped Sam up and realized with some amusement that keeping all of Sam steady as he stood to his full height was not an easy thing! Sam shook his head to get his ears to stop ringing then he and Bobby looked at the black smoke curling up from the pit. They both peered down inside and saw three scorched divots blasted out of the bottom of the cement pit from where the Thorns had landed.

Bobby thought, _damn, those things are infernal!_

And Sam thought, _if we hadn't removed them when we did…. There wouldn't have been enough of Dean or AH-rii left to have been given a decent burial._

The close call they wittnessed made both men silent as they returned to their patients.

Dean was still out but AH-rii was stirring and Sam went over to her to move her to the cot Bobby had set up. As soon as Sam's gentle presence loomed over her she opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile.

Her weak voice was music to his ears, "Sam, take me to Dean so I can help him heal like I did before."

"Uh, yeah sure." And he was very careful not to put pressure on her bandaged wound as he gently supported her to roll over and then lifted her up.

They stood beside Deans sleeping form and AH-rii made a small noise when she saw how much blood from the operation had soaked his field dressing.

Bobby slid a kitchen chair next to the table where Dean lay and Sam carefully set her down onto it.

AH-rii looked up to Bobby and said, "Could you remove the bandage so that I can kiss his wound and make it better?"

Bobby looked at her with a doubtful expression and then glanced up to Sam. Sam's eyes twinkled as he explained about the nano-technology and how she had healed Dean before the same way.

With grudging disbelief Bobby peeled off the red soaked packing and revealed an ugly deep cut that had been left by the surgery.

AH-rii gasped when she saw the damage, then with resolve, bent over and pressed her lips against the gash in his arm. The small sparks bathed the wound and before she pulled her head back you could already see the repair taking place.

Bobby slid his cap back and said in awe, "Well, I'll be…"

Sam grinned at him and said, "It is pretty freakin amazing isn't it, and there won't be any scar, no sign what so ever."

AH-rii just sat by Dean's side; eyes heavy with sleep, and gazed at the man lying there whose lovely profile enchanted her more than any Glamour ever could and said softly to herself , "_these humans_."

Next-The Bond

Many thanks for all those who've followed this fic so far-especially to those who wrote to say they enjoyed this even though they don't normally read AU-Your reviews keep me going.

Please review


	7. Chapter 7 the Bond

Chapter 7- The Bond-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Don't own'em, just love'em-wished ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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When Bobby set up his new out post he built an extra room off the main living area for the boys so they'd have somewhere safe for a few days if they needed to recoup after a bad hunt. It was supposed to be a surprise. He'd heard the stories of some of the pits they'd stayed at while on the road and he had purposefully outfitted this room to mimic the worst of the worst. It was laid out just like every motel but windowless. (For security) The two full size beds had matching burnt orange covers and the floor was covered in a dark brown shag rug for effect.

The difference was that each brother had his own dresser and nightstand and there was plenty of closet space for all their gear and no mirrors. Bobby figured that since he only saw them when they were fresh from a fight with one of the big bads and hurt, they wouldn't want to be reminded the next day how awful they looked, even if the monster looked worst. Bobby was a thoughtful man like that. He just hadn't realized how soon they would b needing it.

Bobby strode across the lab, opened a door and gestured to the inside, "Sam you and Dean can bunk here."

Sam walked over and Bobby said, "I set it up just incase you two stopped by" and he turned on the light.

Sam poked his head in and saw the tacky furnishing reminiscent of one of the worse dives they'd stayed in. He smiled and shook his head at the man beside him and said, "it really is….uh.."

Bobby's straight face began to smirk and his shoulders started to jiggle.

Sam finished his sentence, " You did this?"

Bobby was all out chuckling now. And was rewarded by an unexpected hug and several back slaps by a nearly teary eyed Sam.

The big man shouldn't have been surprised, Sam had always been a hugger. But his surprise at the swiftness of the hug and the intensity of it had been quickly replaced by gratitude. They were the only kin he cared about and this was the best way he could express his pride and love for the two of them.

A cough and hat adjustment later and Bobby said," Don't go thinking this was any hard ship for me. We hunters have to look out for one another, you remember that. Now help me move your brother in here and you two can get some rest."

Sam and Bobby went back out through the lab and into the kitchen area where Dean lay on top of the kitchen table still asleep.

AH-rii was sitting where Sam had left her and she was asleep also, her head down on the table beside Dean's arm.

As the men approached she roused and blinked bleary eyed up at them.

Sam leaned down toward her and whispered, "We're going to move Dean to a bed Bobby has set up for him."

AH-rii quickly looked over to the wound on Dean's arm to make sure he could be moved but the bleeding had stopped and the flesh was mending before their eyes.

She reached out and gently touched his forearm and then looked at his profile. He lay there untroubled, his breathing full and rhythmic. "Yes" she whispered back then looked up at Sam and gave him a sleepy smile, "It will be good to have him rest comfortably tonight." Then she noticed Bobby standing behind Sam and gave him a sleepy smile too.

Sam glanced back at Bobby and he could have sworn the big man blushed at seeing AH-rii's sleepy grin.

Bobby's whispered to Sam in a hoarse whisper," Well, don't just stand there you grab his shoulders, I've got his legs, lets try and get him into the room with out knocking over too much furniture."

Once Dean was placed on the bed Bobby left Sam to get him settled under the covers.

Sam looked down at Dean's sleeping form and exhaled the breath he'd been holding.

_Its over, we're at Bobby's And It's over._

Then he bent down and untied the laces of the left boot and gently eased that off his brother's foot and then the right boot. Each thunk the shoes made as he dropped them on the floor was another reassuring sound that Dean was all right, that he was going to be ok. _Just pretend he got drunk and you had to tuck him in_ was the mantra Sam said in his head as he blotted out the thoughts of what almost happened. He reached down and unsnapped the button on Dean's jeans and began to slide the zipper down when Dean stirred and mumbled "oh, Betty-Lou you know what I like…snnnore"

Sam froze and thought_, that had better be a Jerry Lee Lewis song he just quoted_… and then shook his head and eased the jeans off both legs at once. Dean slept through the de-pantsing and Sam pulled the covers over his zonked out big brother. "Sleep well jerk"

" Snormm..bi….t…ch… snore." was Dean's answer.

Sam went back out to the kitchen area where AH-rii was sipping some tea Bobby had made for her.

Well, he's in for the night." Sam said to Bobby and then he stood before AH-rii.

She noticed the slump of his shoulders and fatigue on his face. _He looks so drained this must be the first time he's let his guard down since last night._ she thought.

When Sam spoke there was a weight to every word, _"_ Thanks AH-rii... if you hadn't stopped me from using the control when you did…I don't know…"

" Don't mention it Sam," replied the grateful fairy, "You did a great job getting the Thorn out of me. You and Bobby kept your heads and saved both our lives tonight. Excellent tea by the way Bobby."

Sam looked at Bobby and then down at the floor and tried not to smirk at his friend, " I didn't know you had…Tea."

Bobby cleared his throat a bit too loud and said, "Son, a good hunter is prepared with the proper provisions for any contingency." And added a sly smile.

Sam let one guffaw escape and then went over to the big guy and gave him a one armed hug. "Thanks Man for letting us come here."

"Aw, just professional courtesy." He replied but he couldn't helpbut give the young man one more jibe, "You think you can manage tucking yourself in?"

Sam's dimples twinkled as he smiled back his reply, " Uh yea, I can manage, thanks. G'night AH-rii." and waved as he backed his way into his room.

Once the door shut AH-rii turned her full attention to the man before her. Bobby was leaning up against the kitchen sink. She studied his face; the care worn lines that were in place now as he looked back at her. But moments ago his good-natured ribbing of Sam had revealed a kind, caring man that obviously had great affection for the Winchester brothers. They trusted him completely and she made up her mind to do the same.

AH-rii took a deep breath, " Bobby I have some important Intel you must know about this war."

When Bobby saw how serious her face looked he had toask, " Should I sit down?"

"You might want to." was her reply.

Bobby pulled up a chair next to the small woman and she could see the look of worry on his face.

" There is a couple of good things about Sam's connection to the crossroads demon," She began, " he has an insiders view to her plans and he can see what she see's. Last night he dreamed he spoke to her and with that info we were prepared for her attack. When she sent the Hellhound for Dean Sam could use her own vision to see it and was able to kill it. And the demon also told him that there still is a grand plan in operation. One that her Uncle the yellow-eyed demon, the one that Dean killed, master minded. The yellow-eyed demon had some how organized a group of other demons into following him. Since he died, the crossroads demon has taken over but the mission is still going forward. They still want Sam to be some kind of leader for them. They are planning on taking over your world, using humans as their soldiers and then they are going to march on to the Everafter-my world."

She paused as she looked into his face then added, "Now Bobby, this is the part that worries me…." and his eyebrows went up, " demons have not massed together for a war since the Fall. They are seeking to combine the best traits of humans with the magic of the Fey to create a super soldier. And there is only one reason for them to want to do that. I fear that they are ultimately planning to go to battle with the Angels… again,…and I fear that they are going to try and force their way back into Heaven."

Bobby sat in silence for the space of time of two heartbeats. Then the fingers of his left hand began to drum on the table.

" I don't know if you are a religious man but whether you are or not a war like this will rip apart both our worlds, your race and mine will be nothing more than a means to an end for them."

Bobby let out a low whistle, got up from his chair and put his mug in the sink. He turned to face the fairy and said, " I have been hunting for more than twenty years now and I never thought it could get any worse that what we're fight'n now…but this!"

He shook is head slowly and continued, "I've been seeing odd signs and the rate of collateral damage has increased, I just chalked it up to the fact that there were two hundred demons loose in the world, but if what that she-demon told Sam was true, about the army forming, and her plans… that means that Armageddon is here, NOW."

AH-rii said, "You must pass this Intel on to the other hunters."

Bobby nodded and proceeded to move to his cell phone on counter.

"And Bobby, I need to get this information to my Queen, I need to get Sam to her, his connection is very valuable, he can hear what the she demon says, it's like having a window into her war room. And Dean, Dean is still not safe, the Deal was an attempt to use him as blackmail to manipulate Sam, and they won't stop. We have to keep Dean safe. If I can get them both to the Everafter, Queen Mab can offer them protection…."

And at that point Bobby noticed her voice was beginning to quaver and he strode back over to the chair and sat down taking her hand in both of his and said; "Now look here missy, you have gone through a lot today. You need to get your rest too. Take an example from that wiseass young man you helped heal tonight and get some sleep! And he cocked his head and added, "I do believe I can tell from here which snore is his" with that he gave her a quick wink.

AH-rii looked at the brothers closed door and back at big man trying to comfort her and smiled back. "You're right, Dean and Sam are safe for the night, thanks Bobby, thanks for helping me see that the role we play has to be done one step at a time too."

"There you go." he said as he gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. "Now you settle yourself in and I'll make some quick phone calls." And he grabbed his cell and moved off to his bedroom.

AH-rii felt much steadier on her feet as she made her way over to the cot set up by the boy's bedroom door. She lay in the quiet darkened room trying to still her thoughts and then she heard the snore. And she knew it was his_. He's safe_. And she drifted off to sleep.

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The next morning AH-rii got up early and went outside to do her meditation/training. She slipped the earpiece over her ear that she usually used to augment her hearing and set it on music instead so that it that would blot out the world and surround her only in the familiar sounds of her world.

Then she began her routine. Her training was part second nature to her now. The warrior moves practiced by the Fey resemble dance more than deadly combat and Bobby's place offered and excellent practice area; it had a good vibe reminding her of home-the Everafter. She lost herself in the music; its compelling drums and skirling wail of pipes were as ancient as the moves she practiced to its beat. It became a meditation for her; allowing her to focus on nothing but the music and the motion of her body as she blocked and kicked and swung around to jab and feint. As she leapt from pile to pile of tires and ricochet off of the stacked wrecks she felt her muscles loosen and her reflexes sharpen.

Dean woke up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The room he found himself in was unfamiliar and dimly lit by a night light near the door. He could tell Sam was sleeping in the next bed by the familiar sound of his even breathing. He took in the décor, _were they at a motel?_ Last he remembered was being at Bobby's… Ahhhh, getting very drunk and…_my arm_!?? Dean reached over with his right hand and felt the place were the Thorn had been in his left arm; his skin was smooth, _no stitches_?

_Gotta find some light and see this wound._ Dean stood up quietly and found his pants and shoes and slipped them on. He went to the door, opened it and slowly eased himself out. He found himself standing in the Lab area at Bobbys', the older hunters door was shut so he must be still asleep but the door to the outside was ajar so he headed for the light that sliced in from the outside. He opened the door and looked at his arm –it was perfect, he reached out with it and moved it around but he felt no stiffness –and then he knew, _AH-rii_- _she must have healed him with that 'kiss' of hers that made things better._ And a small smile began to play at the corners of his mouth.

Just then he caught movement to his right and he stepped quietly back into the morning shadows. He saw her as she came around from the back. She was running and leaping and landing like a rolling ball and springing up to push off the side of a wreck. _Was she dancing? _When she moved into a stance where she kicked out then blocked an imaginary punch Dean recognized her moves for what they were. She was doing some kind of hand-to-hand martial arts routine but her style was so graceful it could almost pass for dance. He wanted to see more but he didn't want to spy on her or anything creepy like that, still the beauty of her in motion mesmerized him.

He positioned himself beside a tower of tires and gazed as the sunlight glinted off every curve hugged by her tight uniform. Her dark curls bounced as she spun to a stop and in one graceful almost feline move swooped down to a crouch and then sprung up on to land on top of the stack of tilting tires. Her balance was perfect as her body followed the sway of the stack. She closed her eyes; spread her arms wide and leapt again just as the pile collapsed. _Whoa...She looks like she's freakin' flyin_ and when, with her eyes still closed, he saw the smile begin to beam across her face Dean moved. He caught her in his arms just before her feet touched ground. He heard her inhale then felt her body relax inside his arms and with her eyes still closed he pulled her gently to his chest and kissed her.

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The earth trembled and for a moment both Dean and AH-rii thought it might have been the kiss but then the ground around them began to crumble and sink. Dean tried to push AH-rii toward the edge of the forming sinkhole but chunks of ground kept falling away at their feet. Suddenly the smell of sulfur hit them and the klaxon blasts from Bobby's alarms filled the air. Hell was coming up to meet them. Dark writhing shapes wriggled up through the soil and swarmed over Dean and AH-rii, they struggled but the minions were too many and just as quickly as they had come up from below the writhing mass held Dean and AH-rii captive and boroughed beneath the loose soil to disappear. All that was left was a sulfur-ringed depression.

Sam's deep sleep sends him down an all too familiar path and he 'sees' that he is in a dungeon of some kind. Before him is a tableaux of horror worse that any nightmare he's ever had.

In the demons clutches Dean and Ah-rii are lying side by side on steeply angled tables their arms held above their heads by straps on their wrists, their legs spread- each bound together by leather ropes.

The CR demon gloats about what she plans to do to them.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Her sickly sweet tone edged in ice.

Dean looks around the room and sees that it is filled with all manner of torture devices.

AH-rii hanging by his side has eyes as a big as saucers as she takes in the room's décor of instruments of pain.

"Didn't think we could take you alive did you?" The demon smugly said. "That is crucial to the plan Dean. You see I realized that you really are no good to us dead. Your brother will be so worried about you, just worried sick and he'll be looking for you everywhere. But he'll never find you… unless…. He makes a choice. It's always been about choices, hasn't it? So, we'll help guide his choices to match our needs by sending him little messages now and then. Little clues- like in a scavenger hunt, Dean. You always gave 110 of your self to this family -didn't you? Well, now it will be literally."

As the she demon approached his brother she was licking her lips in delight. "What should we start with, it must be something easily identified as your own." the demon mused. "Of course it's staring me right in the face! Those eyes of yours, so distinctive, either one Sam would recognize in a Blink as yours! And we'll send it along with an offer, he can make it stop if he just chooses to fulfill his fate or. …We'll continue. That is where your little fairy friend comes in. With an infusion of her blood you'll heal and we can keep you alive indefinitely-long enough to make Sammy see that it is futile to resist any longer-he'll be just hurting you every time he says no."

"Of course," She added. " we'll have to get more creative on the packages, you know what with leakage, especially as we start sending internal organs but what the Hell- when you care enough to send the very best it's all about the presentation." Her eyes burned with sadistic pleasure.

"It's a pity I won't be able to see his face when he gets them, the link doesn't work that way, but I can enjoy hers." And the she demon grabbed AH-rii by the chin. "That is why I've tied you close together, she'll be able to see everything we do to you, and even if she shuts her eyes she'll hear your screams and feel it when you writhe in pain by the tugs on the bindings. It will be delicious to watch her agony over your agony. I won't be able to make up my mind who to watch next!"

Then the she-demon snapped her head back and laughed the most gut chilling sound either of her prisoners ever heard.

And Sam woke up screaming "NNNNNnnnooooooo!" amid the blaring sounds of Bobby's demon alarms.

Next- The Stolen- please review-your thoughts are my coffee-they keep me charged-up!


	8. Chapter 8 The Stolen

Chapter 8- The Stolen-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer-don't own'em. Just love 'em. Wish ta 'ell I could work for Kripke.

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Sorry for the delay in posting. After some fantastic reviews and much respected council from Linnie, I'm going to try to incorporate their advice in the forth-coming chapters. I love that there is a few of you out there that have been following this fic and enjoying the story thus far. By making your thoughts known to me and giving me your impressions you have helped me become better at expressing myself and I Thank You from the bottom, top and middle of my heart. Now without further adieu I offer you-

The Stolen.

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The blaring demon alert alarms woke Bobby instantly. On the day he installed them he had prayed he would never hear them sound, and he was praying again now as he grabbed his gun and rushed through the lab area to the boys door. The alarms got louder as he swung the door open and then he saw Sam sitting up in bed, it wasn't one of the alarms... it was the sound of Sam's screams.

NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOoooooooarrrrrrrrrggghhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooo!

Sam's eyes were still tightly closed, _the boy's just dreaming_, thought Bobby and he grabbed Sam by the shoulders and started to shake him, gently at first then more urgently to get him to wake. _They had to move, no tellin' were the demons breached their defenses or how many got through_ and as Sam began to struggle against him, Bobby dared to look behind to see what the Hell was keeping Dean in bed through all this racket…and then he saw…Dean's bed –empty.

Bobby turned back and yelled into Sam's face, "WHERE'S YOUR BROTHER?"

Sam's eyes flew open and he stiffened in Bobby's grasp. He bolted out of bed, past Bobby, and nearly knocked his good friend down to stare at the bed where Dean wasn't, then he rushed out of the room to check the cot for AH-rii and it was empty too.

Bobby still had to yell above the alarms, WE GOT A SECURITY BREACH, THOSE ARE DEMON ALARMS, WE GOTTA FIND THOSE TWO NOW; THERE'S NO WAY OF TELLIN' HOW MANY…..

Sam slumped down onto the cot and buried his head in his hands he mumbled something and Bobby bent down to try to hear him. "WHAT?"

Sam turned his face to look up at Bobby and a change had come over it. It was more than a look of panic the kid was scared practically witless as he shouted in the loudest voice Bobby had ever heard from him, " THE DEMONS ALREADY TOOK THEM!"

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Bobby stared at Sam's frantic face for one beat then turned off the alarms. In a voice about to break at any moment Sam told Bobby about the dream.

Bobby could feel his stomach turn queasy when Sam told him about the kidnapping right from under the ground and when Sam got to the part of the blackmail and the contents of the packages Bobby felt his legs buckle. _Dean being eternally tortured and kept alive by AH-rii and all to get to Sam!_

Bobby leaned his back against the wall for support the gun dangled from his right hand and covered his eyes with his left. He couldn't believe it, wouldn't. _Those damned brimstone breathing bastards snatched 'em right out from under my protection and now that poor boy is gonna suffer and she'll have her mind snapped knowin' how she feels and knowin' she's keepin' him alive every day…………till we get em._

"Bobby?" Sam reached up his hand and touched the big mans elbow. Bobby heard the shattered sound of Sam's voice and looked down at his upturned face, what he saw was full of pleading, dreadful hope, and devastation. Bobby grabbed the younger man's hand and pulled him up into bear of a hug and said, "We're gonna get him back, we're gonna get them BOTH back."

Next- The Promise- Please review! You make me better for it.


	9. Chapter 9The Promise

Chapter 9- The Promise- Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle.

Disclaimer- Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wished to 'ell I worked for Kripke

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The demon swept back into the chamber holding a curved blade that looked like an ice-cream scoop, its edge lethaly sharp; a lumpy looking toady holding onto a small box trailed her.

As she approached the tilted torture tables she was speaking over her shoulder to the minion about postal regulations, apparently they had infiltrated that system years ago.

Then she turned toward them and oozed smugly, "Sorry about the wait, we want to make sure everything goes right for our first package, you know what they say- first impressions mean so much when you're negotiating." She walked slowly to Dean's side in a predatory manner.

Dean glared at her and she clucked a 'tsk, tsk' back at him. Feigning indecision she glanced over to AH-riis wide eyed frightened face and asked "Which one to take?" Adding in a sickly sweet high-pitched southern drawl, "Oh fiddlededee, they are both so lovely, I declare I can't make up my mind!"

The lumpy dark mass holding the box made a grating croaking noise that must be what passes as laughter in minions and the demon joined it with her own maniacal cackle.

Then regaining her composure she snapped at the minion, "Put the damn box down and hold his head steady!"

The box was dropped immediately and rough, surprisingly strong hands clamped onto Dean's head.

For a brief moment Dean's face showed a glimmer of fear then he locked down all emotion and braced himself for the pain.

AH-rii hadn't been breathing the whole time since the crossroads demon entered the room because she suddenly found that she couldn't gasp when the lumpy thing grabbed Dean's head. But a scream was building in her chest with every inch closer the scoop came to Dean's eye.

_Dean… DEAN… not your eyes…. Not… your… EYE_…."NNNNOOOOOOOOOO!"

And several things happened at once.

A blinding light flashed, both the lumpy thing and the crossroads demon screamed and jumped back as if scald and a translucent green bubble surrounded all of Dean Winchester.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" The demon yelled at AH-rii.

A very confused AH-rii looked at the protective shield surrounding Dean who smiled and winked back at her and stammered. "I… don't… know…. "(Then she caught herself and scowled back at the she demon) "How can you think that I would allow any harm come to this human under my protection."

The demon grabbed fistfuls of fur off the lumpy minion and pulled them out with a sickening rip! "You and your stinking fairy ways! Always meddling and spoiling our plans! Well, we still have him and that shield will only stay up and strong as long as you're awake." She glared at the fairy and growled, "You have to sleep sometime and when you do we'll be back."

The demon spun on the cowering minion and snapped, "Pick up the damn box and follow me!" And stormed out of the room slamming the door behind them.

Dean and AH-rii looked at each other wide eyed and both said, "What happened?"

Dean asked, "You didn't plan this?"

AH-rii answered, "I don't know how it...this shouldn't"…and then breathlessly said, "It was magic! Dean, I can only use magic when I'm in the Everafter, it doesn't work in your world I'd need the control to do this. But I just thought 'Protect' and just like home 'poof' you're surrounded by my Lo.. and she let her voice trail off.

Dean looked at her. Those beautiful eyes full of gratitude and compassion and something a bit more playful. "So, what is this shield made of …exactly?"

AH-rii felt the blush rising in her cheeks. She tried fighting it by reminding herself that warriors of the Fey do NOT blush; but with him only inches away and staring at her like that it wasn't easy. And then he fluttered his lashes at her.

She stopped blushing and smirked, "Bitch!"

Dean laughed and suddenly the depressing chamber was filled with the sound of hope.

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Bobby made the coffee as strong as they could take it and set the mug down in front of Sam at the kitchen table. But the younger man didn't seem to notice. He had been sitting there in silence looking down at the table that only hours ago had been where his brother had had the demon's Thorn dug out of his arm. A small stain of Dean's blood was still visible in the wood. _Dean's blood._ Thought Sam, and he gently touched his finger to the stain. A moment that did not go unnoticed by the older hunter leaning against the counter. Reverently Sam traced his finger around the burgundy mark.

_Dean spilled his blood here; he could be spilling more in Hell right now._ And Sam's finger stopped moving. A look of horror and anguish splashed across his face and he stood up suddenly nearly knocking over the mug of coffee.

Bobby pushed away from the counter and stepped up to Sam and for a moment they locked eyes. Sam's great form was trembling and Bobby could see the young man's heart was being torn apart by the rage of frustration that filled it.

"Sam, I've got something for you."

Sam looked at Bobby and glanced back down at the stain on the table. Then he set his lips in a firm line and thrust his chin out and met Bobby's gaze. That face was one Bobby'd seen on Sam ever since he was four, it was resolve, it was strength, it was courage and with that look Sam just told him he was ready.

Bobby left to go to his room and came back carrying what looked like a narrow guitar case across his arms. He set the case on the table opened the lid and slowly lifted out a long shape wrapped in burgundy velvet. It was a sword. Old by design, the handle had gold appointments and a worn leather grip. The silvery blade was not as wide as a broad sword but longer and had a line of dull symbols etched down its length.

Sam looked wide-eyed at it then back at the older hunter holding it out to him.

"Take it," Bobby said and as he reverently held the blade out to him. "Feel its weight, swing it a few times and see what you think." There was a look of expectancy on Bobby's face when he said it.

Sam reached for the Sword and grasped the hilt with both hands; he took a stance and swung it in a gentle arc, it was incredibly balanced. On the second arc he began to feel the grip becoming warm in his hands. He swung again and the air thrummed with a vibration. Again, with more force, as the blade cut through air there was an audible tone that rang softly in the ears like a distant church bell. AGAIN, with all his might he swung, and the symbols along its length came to life with a fiery glow while the purest tone rang out. It felt right.

Sam didn't even know he was smiling as he let out a huge exhale and looked at the sword he held. It didn't look old at all now, the gold on the hilt glistened and the grip felt custom made, the silvery blade and its glowing symbols sparkled in the sunlight and there was this vibrancy like it was alive in his hands.

He looked over to Bobby, " What?"

Bobby stood in awe. He'd just seen Sam, the boy he'd watch grow up, become transformed. It was true; the legend was true.

The promise of the sword, the ultimate weapon against evil, was that it would come alive only in the hands of a man who is good and whose heart is true. And that when the world needed it most such a man would be found to wield it.

And now the young man standing in front of Bobby, with that sword in his hand, was the warrior he was meant to be.

Bobby cleared his throat, but the husky sound when he spoke betrayed the emotion in it. "It suits you……….. Now lets go get your brother!"

Next-The Place-Please review -My heart beats faster when you comment more

Please let me know how you like the new style-Reviews keep me going and connect me to you.


	10. Chapter 10the place

Chapter 10- The Place-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Discalimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke.

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Dean laughed. Arms and legs bound and lying on the torture table he laughed a deep, full belly laugh that ended in a little coughing fit and spilled tears on his cheeks. Then he just smiled at the ceiling a moment before he spoke.

"Man, did you see how mad she got? Whew, I thought she was gonna tear that scabby fur ball to pieces." He said as he rubbed his face on his upstretched bicepts to wipe away the glistening drops of relief from his face.

AH-rii bound to his bindings smiled and shook her head a little. Moments before he was about to be painfully mutilated by the scariest demon bitch ever... but this temporary reprieve was enough to have him joking around- _these humans_.

_The mood in here is better_, she thought, _and I used magic…… maybe….. just maybe…. _

"Dean, do you smell any Brimstone?" She asked.

"No, just my own my own manly scent." He made a sniff of his tee shirt pit, smirked and shrugged as best he could with his arms tied over his head. "Now that you mention it, I only smell that stuff whenever she and that thing are in the room."

AH-rii had a playful look on her face, "Doesn't feel too warm in here either, does it?"

Dean nodded as his smirk turned into a smile, "No, no it doesn't. Did someone in Hell forget to pay their fuel bill?"

AH-rii snorted and said, "I don't think Hell has to worry about an energy crisis any time soon." And she looked around the chamber. "You know, I don't think we're in Hell"

"Where else could we be?" Dean asked.

AH-rii propped herself on tippy toes to loosen the pull of her wrist binds for a moment and answered quizzically, "It didn't seem to take them long to bring us here from the surface, you know,-how long do you figure?"

Dean looked up at the ceiling raised his eyebrows and puffed a breath out as he mentally calculated, "It DID take time didn't it? - Not poof and we're in Hell, they physically brought us here." He was silent a moment, " I remember being pulled down through the dirt, I shut my eyes and mouth and held my breath when those crawly things swarmed over us...and then we fell for a short drop... it was dark and smelled like damp earth." He looked over at AH-rii his expression suddenly pained, " I thought I'd lost you... I thought I was smelling the dirt of my own grave." Then his face softened, "until I heard you cussin' at them."

"UGH", the little fairy shuddered, "those crawly things were the worst! I remember the ground went out from under us and we fell, but you're right not far, like drop bump, six feet, seven feet tops and then they carried us in pretty much a straight line till they brought us here. Didn't take long, about twenty minutes/ half hour, seem like that to you?"

"Yeah that's about right. Dean agreed, "So what do you think; are we still in my world or did they bring us to yours?"

"Not your world, or I couldn't have done this," AH-rii gestured with her chin at the shimmery green cocoon surrounding Dean. " Where exactly is Bobby's place I don't remember much of the car ride there."

"Its just off the highway about fifty miles north of the motel we were stayin' at." Was Dean's reply.

"That would put is Idaho right?" AH-rii asked.

Dean started to pick up on the tread and his smile became wider "Yeah, its in Silver Valley."

"So called because of all the Silver mines dug here." AH-rii was beginning to look smug. The Fey mined here as well, its silver is some of the purest in the world. " In fact…" and then her smug expression faltered..

Dean frowned at the look of worry crossing the fairy's face. "What? So we know where we are right?"

AH-rii's expression deepened into a scowl and she turned to face him, "I may know exactly where we are," She stated in a flat voice, " it was called the Morning/Star and it was the deepest mine in the U.S. in its day."

"So why the frown, we know where we are, as soon as you get your Mojo to get us loose we can hoof it outa here"

"AH-rii looked at him and there was not joy but sadness in her eyes. "You don't understand," her voice almost cracking, her eyes bright with tears, "This place, if this place is indeed part of my homeland and the demons have broken through, she inhaled deeply and her face became grim, " then the Everafter has just been invaded by Hell. "

Next-The Trail-Please share your thoughts and try to keep me honest


	11. Chapter 11the Trail

Chapter 11-The Trail-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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Sam stood looking from the sword to Bobby. "What is this?" he said as he inspected the weapon.

Bobby adjusted the cap on his head and thought a minute. _How do I tell him without spookin the boy? _"It's had many names, there's references to it all throughout history, the Bible, the Arthurian legends, even Joan of Arc."

Sam was holding the sword up to catch the sunlight glinting off the blade when he stopped and he looked over at Bobby in awe.

"This….is…..It?" he gasped. And the sword made a soft tone. Sam froze. His eyes went wide, his mouth popped open and he held the sword out at arms length.

Bobby gently put his hand on the younger man's shoulder and said almost in a whisper, "It chose you."

Sam stepped back and stood still looking at the blade, awe fading into doubt. "But why me Bobby? All those people who ever used it were Saints or Kings…I'm…. I'm," and he let his arm holding the sword slowly drop. "I'm not like them, I've been tainted with demon blood, I've got a link to a demon right now!"

"Doncha see boy, you've been tested harder than any mortal who's ever held it. And you overcome every pitfall the demons set upon you. That yellow eyed bastard musta known you had it in you to do this or he wouldn'ta spent so much effort to git you on their side in the first place."

Sam looked down at the floor again and Bobby cocked his own head to one side and looked up into Sam's face and said again, softly, "It chose you."

As Sam heard the words he felt a glimmer of hope flicker inside his heart and thought, _"Could this help rescue Dean?" _and in answer the blade began to glow and a vibration from the tip to the hilt rang all the way up Sam's arm_. It will be done._

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Bobby and Sam stood by the edge of the sulfur rimmed depression. They were armed for bear. Bobby wore a double hung gun holster at his hips and he'd slung a backpack full of demon fighting paraphernalia over his shoulder. With his worn baseball cap, plaid shirt and jeans he looked like some freaking grad student gone bad.

Sam looked down at the pit of crumbled rock and earth. The sword hung from a scabbard at his left hip and he too had a fully stocked backpack.

Bobby studied the shape and depth of the hole and said, "Looks like a sink hole."

Sam looked at the older man and said, " stream nearby? Old well? Underground bunker?"

At the last option Bobby said, "Nah, hadn't had time to put it in."

Sam took a different tack and asked, "What's the geology like in this area?"

Bobby squinted a bit at the young man and said, "No limestone, with underground water pools if that's what you're thinkin'. This whole area is known to be rich in minerals. Fact some of the richest Silver mines are about two miles….." And his face took on the look of recognition.

Sam picked up on the look and then they both said in unison, "Mine Tunnel!"

Bobby grinned and shouted "WOO-DAWG!" grabbed the cap off his head and tossed it to the ground. He gave Sam a cuff on the shoulder and for a moment Sam thought he'd break into a "Treasure of Sierra Madre" jig.

The older hunter said, "Sam this might be how they took 'em but we need to narrow down our search and find out where they took 'em before we go in half cocked."

Sam looked back at the depression, what he wanted to do was to jump in and dig down with his bare hands if it would get him to Dean faster, but Bobby was right. And reluctantly he followed the wiser hunter into the house to do research. But not without glancing back one more time thinking, _That's the last spot I saw him stand on this earth._

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"I want you to search for all mining sites within a hundred miles." Bobby asked Sam. "I'm gonna make a call." And Bobby headed for his bedroom.

You hunt long enough and you get to develop a network and Bobby knew a guy who said he knew a guy that once said he knew where to find a fairy. So Bobby dialed the number. _Its a long shot to be sure, but AH-rii needed to get this Intel, of the coming war, to her people and if she was with Dean like Sammy'd seen in his dream chances are her hands are too full right now to get the word out herself- 'sides you help each other out that's what hunters do. _

Sam sat at the kitchen table in front of his laptop; his face an intense mask as his fingers clicked a soft staccato rhythm across the keyboard. Within minutes he found what he was looking for. He swallowed once, clenching his jaw muscles his intensity now replaced by grim determination. The warrior Sam had become had just pulled up the location that was destined to become their battleground.

"Bobby!" Sam's voice had come out disturbing low and insistent. "Bobby, I need you to see this now!"

"What've you got?" Bobby asked as he moved to Sam's side.

"Silver Valley, Idaho. Its home to the deepest mine in the country, it's actually two mines that connect into one humongous one, and its got branches that spread out for miles underground. It's called the Morning/Star.

At the sound of the name Bobby blinked, "Well, that just figures." He glumly said.

"And get this," Sam said with a wicked gleam in his eye, "one of the spurs runs right out back."

Bobby straightened up and said, "Boy, lets get the shovels and start diggin'"

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Bobby placed the second call to give co-ordinates of their targets location. And then he packed a new device in his bag of tricks.

They made short work of the digging and punched through the tunnels ceiling in no time. Once they dropped onto the floor Bobby pulled out the palm sized device and scanned in an arc.

Sam held his flashlight on it then suddenly two colored lights winked on, one yellow and one green. "What is that?" he asked.

"Oh, just a little something I've been working on." Was Bobby's terse reply. "The yellow light indicates the presence of sulfur, this being a mine tunnel that could just be the ambient mineral in the soil but the green one is residue of paranormal energy. If you're huntin' a demon and they both come on you know you've picked up its trail. They start flashing as you git close the faster they flash the closer you are." Even in the darkness Sam knew Bobby had a smile on. And they silently made their way down in the pitch-blackness following the course picked up by the detector.

They hadn't been walking more than fifteen minutes when the lights began to flash.

Bobby and Sam picked up their pace as the flashing increased. In the distance they could see a flicker of light-_Hellfire?_

Next-The Choice- Please review 'cause the suspense is killing me.


	12. Chapter 12the choice

Chapter 12- The Choice-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wish ta 'el I worked for Kripke.

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Dean saw her face cloud over and AH-rii looked away.

"I thought your people had skirmishes with the demons all the time?" Dean said softly.

As AH-rii spoke she kept her eyes to the ceiling. "Long ago…. there was a battle. The Fey banished all of demon kind from our realms. There's been a few encounters over the centuries…..this very mine…" and she pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling and blinked back tears.

Dean didn't like the look at all. " Hey, kiddo, you're startin' to scare me. AH-rii, look at me…. Look…at…me." He said gently but firmly.

She finally turned to face him and when she did a tear slipped down her face.

Dean smiled at her and said, "That's ma girl. Now just whip some of that magic on these bonds and we're outa here."

AH-rii blinked at him a few times like she didn't understand then closed her eyes.

Dean watched her mouth form silent ancient words to evoke the spell to loose the bonds.

She frowned and tugged on wrist straps but they held firm. She opened her eyes and saw a look of desperate hope cross his face_. Deep breath put more push in it_ she thought and closed her eyes again. This time she was whispering the words her cadence more intense. She tugged again-nothing. The bonds held.

She sighed deeply and cursed under her breath. "Must be demon made, my magic won't influence them" And she felt guilt and despair crash into her like a punch to the gut. She cried out as tears came and she gave one final tug in frustration on them. She knew then that with her concentration split she wouldn't be able to over ride the strength of demon made bonds.

Dean said nothing. He just kept his focus on her. He wanted to just touch her, she looked so torn.

Finally, she turned to look him in the eyes. _He looks more worried for me than he does for himself!_ And it made her gasp. Because what she knew she had to do next was breaking her heart.

"Dean…"

"Ah-rii," he said quickly, "It's ok, you bought us some time, Sam'll be looking for us…"

AH-rii's sober tone stopped him, "Dean…. there is a…. duty…I must perform. I have got to try to get through to my Queen…. the demons plan reaches farther than your world or mine it may reach as far as Heaven itself. Last night Bobby put out calls to all the hunters he could to warn them of what was coming but my people don't even know it's started.

Dean was stunned. "So, how can you contact them if we can't get free?"

AH-rii blinked back returning tears as she looked at the concern on his face.

She couldn't say this while looking in those eyes so she dropped her gaze from his and said, "I can't commune while trying to maintain the barrier. I'll have to drop it…. (She let that sink in) then I can use the emotion to call out to Her. What I fear is that crazy she demon will know somehow when you are unprotected, and I don't really know if I will have enough energy to create it again after I make the call. Dean you could be…."

"Right back where we started" he said in a flat voice. Dean turned to face the ceiling. But AH-rii couldn't take her eyes off him. A few moments passed by in silence and she saw him sigh deeply and let his body sag, he had made a decision. When he turned to her again his face was pale and his eyes told her all the very well justified fear he felt, but there was something more-resolve. He was choosing between saving himself from agonizing pain and saving a race of beings only one of whom he had ever met…her. He was choosing for her.

In a tender voice he began, "This has got to be so hard for you". And AH-rii began to sob; silent wet tears ran in warm rivulets from her eyes as she watched him speak.

"I know you care about me…I do…and I know I truly don't want that CR bitch to….to... carve me up. But listen to me… you listening?" And Dean leaned as close to her as his restraints would allow. AH-rii couldn't answer but nodded her head. "You gotta let them know. You gotta do your job and let them know-you understand? The bitch won't kill me-he said with a sad smirk, " it would spoil her fun so I'm telling you do it!"

Dean watched she closed her eyes once more. AH-rii's sobbing shuddered through her body. For a while that was the only sound that filled the chamber.

"_God, she's tearing herself apart, if only I could just touch her_" screamed in Dean's head. Frustration built in him until he couldn't stand it any longer, "DO IT!" he yelled.

She jerked and opened her eyes at the sound of anger in his voice. But when she looked he had tears too along with determination. And silently he mouthed again, "Do it".

Her heart had never been filled with so much admiration for the bravery she witnessed now and in an instant-"poof" the shield was gone.

As soon as it was Dean leaned over and placed a kiss on the first place he could reach; the soft tissue of her upper arm. The caress of his soft lips mixed with the wetness of his tears ignited in her a fierce need to protect this man and her own world against the evil that had invaded them. And that emotion, carried along with all she had been through in the past two days, broadcast out into the Everafter instantly finding the conscience of Mab.

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Suddenly the chamber door opened and the gloating CR demon swept into the room her minion with the box shuffling after her.

"Well, getting cozy are we?"

Then grinning horribly she brought the blade back out and said, "Now, where were we?"

Next-The Rescue-

My honest appreciation for all those who left great advice and humbling praise, this has been a journey I have shared with you, Thank you for reaching out and letting me hear you.


	13. Chapter 13The Rescue

Chapter 13-The Rescue-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wish ta 'ell I worked for Kripke.

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The unnaturally wide grin on the she demon practically bisected her face as she moved toward her two prisoners. The oily tone in her voice added to the foreboding that filled the room when she finally spoke.

"Ooooohhhhh, tired out so soon?" She said as she approached AH-rii. The tiny woman glared back at her. The she demon reached out as if to caress the fairy's cheek but viciously grabbed AH-rii's resolute chin instead.

Dean lunged straining at his bonds and yelled, "Don't you touch her!"

As Dean filled the air with his curses, the thing ignored him, focusing instead all of her attention on the Fey warrior in her grasp.

"So new at this aren't you?" It purred menacingly. "Don't you know the first rule of any assignment? Never get emotionally involved- it will drain your power faster than hand to hand combat. And yet here you are- all out of juice and the party's just started!" It tilted its head back and brayed that insane laughter again.

The demon then raised the other hand and a flash of metal gleamed in the dim light from the chambers torches as she swooped a blade in a glancing arc across the fairy's face.

AH-rii's scream and Dean's agonized NOOOOOOooooo blended and echoed around the room.

The demon held the bloodied scoop blade up it's eyes eager with delight as it swirled it's finger around the inside of the bowl until the digit was coated in blood.

AH-rii pressed her wounded cheek against her up stretched arm muttering soft curses as Dean tried to reach her with his voice. "Babe, don't…I'm right here…" _I need to hold her NOW! _"AAAAaaarrgh", he shouted in frustration as he strained against the restraints.

"MMMnnhhhmmmmm" the demon murmured. It opened its mouth and a long black forked tongue snicked out and licked the finger clean.

"That's good Fey," It said as it finished licking its lips. "Still has the taste of hope" It smacked its mouth like savoring fine wine, "And what is this? The aching aftertaste of blossoming Love?" My girl, you are a bounty! Fresh recruit, full of good intent and duty; and the bonus of new love. Its such a pity that you've failed so miserably on your first assignment."

And the demon thrust her face close to the tiny captive. "The man you were sent to protect-MINE!. The brother, Sam, WILL come to me and give himself over will-ing-ly and our kind will climb over the broken backs of both your worlds to bust through the gates of Heaven. It will ALL be ours again." And then the she demon taunted in a sing song voice "and it will be… all… your…. fault!"

"Don't you listen to her" Dean gave a sideways glare at the gloating she demon and leaned with all his strength toward AH-rii. The slash on the fairy's cheek had stopped bleeding but she kept her face turned away from him and she couldn't stop shuddering. "Don't you listen. They lie. They try to make you hurt inside; it's just playing you. I saw how you kicked those demon's asses, you are pound for pound the bravest hunter I've ever seen!"

AH-rii stopped shuddering. She turned toward him and Dean saw beneath her tear-swollen eyes the damage that had been done to the right side of her face. The curved scoop blade had pulled back a "U" shaped flap of skin that exposed torn muscle and a glint of white bone beneath.

A deep growl exploded from Dean and he lunged back at the demon with such force that she had to step back.

"You pieceofshit spawn from Hell I swear I'll kill you dead! You're not just getting a ticket back to Hell you're gonna be dead FOR EVER!"

The look of surprise (and maybe fear) was quickly replaced by sneering delight as the demon now approached her main quarry. "Why Dean Winchester you just hush, it's not good to get yourself all worked up before an operation, you might slow the healing processes." Holding the bloodied scoop blade poised and ready she called to the minion to assist.

"Put the damn box down and grab his head!" She screamed. And the hideous lumpy mass dropped the box and clamped its calloused paws on either side of Dean's head in a vise like grip.

"I think this will work out much better having a coating of Fey blood on the blade," she said conversationally to the minion, "that way as soon as we cut it will start healing and will reduce the down time between packages. …….Like we'd worry about that!" And she and the minion shared a private laugh.

She leered over at AH-rii, while she spoke to Dean, "Or maybe I could just have my assistant crush your head like a melon and see how long it takes to reassemble after I pour some more Fey blood over it."

"What do you think Fairy?" The demon's smile was cold, so very cold.

"Wait! I thought you needed me alive?" Dean said through gritting teeth.

"Oh, I do," purred the demon, "The blood of the Fey can reassemble the tissues of your brain, but you'd be ….what do they call it…ah yes …in a vegetative state. Whole but not quite the man once called Dean Winchester. After all… it's only your body parts I need, not you, you're too much trouble to keep. "It's a shame though", she said as she put her hand on his crotch and enjoyed the shudder of his revulsion, "I do like to have my playthings lively. But even without a brain I think your body will still responds to...touch." Dean froze a look of utter discust upon his face. And with that she nodded to her assistant.

The minion growled with delight and began to squeeze. Dean's eyes flew open and a gasp escaped his lips.

At that moment AH-rii's bonds broke free with a wrenching tear. The fairy vaulted off the slant table and into the mass that held Dean's head.

"WUMPF!" Was the noise it made as the fairy's feet propelled it into the far wall and it slid down in a lump on the floor. AH-rii spun around to face the CR demon. But froze mid crouch. The demon had seized Dean by his jaw, pulled his head back to expose his neck and was pressing the blade against it.

"Take one more step and I'll slice his throat from ear to ear," the demon glowered, "even Fey blood can't fix dead."

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A cadence of vehement curses poured out from the chambers doorway that sounded familiar to Sam's ear.

"That's Dean!" And before Bobby could say wait Sam had drawn the sword and taken off in the direction of his bother's voice. Bobby glanced down at the meter in his hand and both green and yellow lights were strobeing together so fast they appeared still.

"Sonofabitch!" Cursed the older hunter and took off after Sam.

Sam slowed as he approached the door and flattened his back against the wall to listen. Bobby caught up with him and silently showed him the meter's reading, Sam looked to him and Bobby gave him a nod to proceed and Sam peered inside. He could see Dean tied to the same slant table that was in his nightmare. The Demon had her back to them but AH-rri was in a crouch facing them and Sam signaled to her to show no reaction.

The Demon, however, sensed his presence. "Sam, you're here at last. Just in time for me to make you a proposition."

"No more deals" Sam growled as he held the sword before him and took a step inside the room. "Let him go-NOW" and a clear tone from the sword echoed Sam's voice.

At the sound of the tone the demon's skin began to crawl and she spun around to face the warrior Sam.

"You wield the Sword?" Hissed the demon and it slowly moved away from the torture table never taking its eyes off the shining sword.

"Atta boy!" grinned Dean at his baby brother.

AH-rii leapt up, grabbed a evil looking curved blade off the chambers wall, and began to slice through the bonds at Dean's wrists as the Demon and Sam moved in a slow circle of attack.

Sam said with a tone of finality in his voice, "It's over." And that's when the demon suddenly pitched a ball of Hell fire at him. The ball was fast but the sword in Sam's hands moved faster. It bunted the fireball off the wall in an angle and right onto the minion that lay on the floor, which screamed and burst into flame.

As the putrid smoke of burnt minion filled the chamber Dean grabbed the blade from AH-rii and sliced through the bindings of his legs with one swing and was off the table. Bobby glanced back the way they'd come and said, "We got company!" As the tunnel begin to fill with squealing, grunting hordes of minions rapidly pressing down toward them.

Bobby then looked at AH-rii gave a nod and tossed something at her, and she sprang grabbing it mid air. It was her control; her weapon and suddenly she didn't feel so naked anymore.

The demon and Sam were still circling each other when the demon began to smile that cold smile as the sounds of the minions grew louder. Then it muttered some fowl words and the scoop blade became a long double bladed staff in its hands. It whirled the weapon like a lethal baton and swept it in a wide arc right at Sam's midsection. He sucked in just as it stripped the buttons off his shirt, which flung open to reveal a shallow graze line of red beads across his tight abs.

Sam's swing with the sword deflected the demons next thrust but as it recovered to press another attack, Dean and Sam moved in unison. Dean crashed into the demon from the side while the swords return arc cleanly sliced through both its arms at the wrists.

The She demon threw its head back in a hideous wail of agony when the weapon dropped; her severed hands still grasped around the shaft as it fell to the chamber floor.

AH-rii pointed the control and shouted, "CLEAR!" Dean rolled away from the demon and Sam stepped back. The shimmery trap formed in an instant around the writhing demon. AH-rii stepped up to face her and said, "By the order of Mab, Queen of the Everafter I here by charge you with attempted soul snatching and unlawful trespass upon Fey lands."

The she demon clutched the stubs of its wrists to its chest and hissed, "You've only had a small sample of what's in store for you!"

Dean spoke up, "Well, I've had a taste of your hospitality and frankly it sucks."

Bobby glanced out the door at the closing mass and said, "Its time to find another way outta here." Dean grabbed another weapon off the wall and took his place beside AH-rii on point. As they all sprinted away from the advancing horde and deeper into the mine Bobby took time to turn to Sam and say. "Looks like you're gonna get to find out how good a weapon that sword really is."

Next- The Recon- Please review, we've come this far together don't let me wander the last few steps alone.


	14. Chapter 14The Recon

Chapter 14-The Recon-Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wished ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

Thank-you for your kind reviews. Sorry this chapter has taken so long to get posted, but like impatient children waiting in a line I've had several other stories jostle their way ahead of this one unfairly.

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As they dashed into the darkness of the tunnel Ah-rii shouted to Dean, "We have to make it to the Hall of Pillars, it should be up ahead, and through there is a portal that will take us into the Everafter!"

An elaborately carved archway appeared on their right and AH-rii lead quickly lead them though it. They rushed down a sloping stone ramp and the sounds of the horde behind them began to fade. But as they ran and the floor began to level they saw an eerie light ahead. They slowed; the inky blackness behind them lessened as they approached the bottom. When they reached it they passed through another archway and into a huge cavern.

To a man they stopped, Bobby shushed them, and they looked around amazed to see how bright it was. They were standing at the opening of a huge cavern, it was like football stadium huge, like blimp hanger huge. Beige colored walls and ceiling glistened with a mother of pearl sheen and large glowing clusters of Stalactites hung down like chandeliers lit with frozen fire. Rising up from the floor were pillars of Stalagmites that seemed like stone trunks of a petrified forest and they radiated the same glow of light as the formations above.

But what caused them to pause most was the growing sound of a battle that raged before them. AH-rii motioned them to follow her and they sought refuge in a group of pillars to the side. The formation was like a stone tower. They wound their way up through the center till a room-sized space was reached. The Stalagmites were clustered so close together that only thin slits offered views to peer out from; and from their fortress AH-rii, Dean, Sam and Bobby had full view of the battle in progress below.

To both their horror and amazement they watched as the Fey army and minions of the She demon crashed together like waves of a tsunami. The sounds of clanging metal and battle cries of the Fey mixed with squeals of pain and guttural growls from the dark foot soldiers of Hell. Flashes from weapons like AH-riis' control strobed across the glistening walls like lightning and added to the surreal sight.

Then Dean saw what the Fey cavalry were riding and he gasped out loud. Dotted among their infantry were Unicorns _Gawd Dam Unicorns_! They were big like Clydesdales on steroids. Their eyes blazed with green/gold eye shine and their wide feathered hooves shook the ground whenever they reared and came down upon minions who dared approach too close. The Fey riders looked tiny upon them. Some rode in elaborate saddles and some skilled bowmen stood and fired arrows from the broad backs of their steeds like a deadly circus act.

Sam saw them at the same time as Dean, and turned toward his brother eyes wide with wonder. Seeing the look of disbelief on Dean's face made Sam flash a dimpled grin and he punched his brother in the arm, nodding his head with a look of I told you so.

But AH-rii looked concerned. The portal lay beyond the battleground and the armies below cut them off from it.

Suddenly Bobby grasped her arm and signaled for her to look back. And she saw that pouring through the archway they'd just come through was the minion horde that had chased them down the tunnel. And they were shooting Thorns as they clambered to join the fray. _OH, sweet Mab we're trapped! _Now all hope of exit had been squashed. The best they could do was join the fight and try to work their way toward the portal. If they lived.

She was wearing her uniform, which would help protect her from the Thorns, but the boys and Bobby were woefully underdressed for battle.

She turned to Bobby and said, "I'm going to get you all some uniforms and what weapons I can scrounge, stay here until I return with them. And then we'll have to move out and try to make our way to the portal, even if it means we have to fight our way there it's the only way to safety." Bobby nodded. And then turned to look at the boys who were still glued to the battle scene below them. She saw him stare at Dean's back and she put her hand on Bobby's arm. "Keep him here Bobby" and she squeezed his arm for emphasis. The older hunter smirked back at her. And she turned and silently left the safety of their hiding place.

As the boys stared down at the mêlée below them they hardly noticed a tiny figure that darted from pillar to pillar toward the raging battle.

AH-rii was trying to make it to one of the horsemen, she hoped that she could prevail upon him to 'borrow' his steed and provide them with an escort to the portal; that way she could avoid having to put her charges in direct line of fire as they made their escape.

But just as she broke her cover and made a dash for the first Unicorn; an explosion blasted in front of her and the headless body of its rider fell to her feet.

She stood wide-eyed at the bloodied stump where just moments ago there used to be a head; the shock and suddenness hitting her all at once. _This isn't a plan it's madness!_ she realized as one more look revealed a scattering fallen Fey all around her.

But the whinny/snort of the Unicorn snapped her mind back and all her training kicked in. Quickly she used the control to move the fallen behind another out crop of pillars. A minion suddenly appeared and she vaporized it with the beam. Leading the Unicorn behind the stand of rock she used the control again to create a shield around them all and proceeded to strip the fallen of their uniforms. She left the bodies covered by the blankets they'd been issued then mounted the steed and used the control once more put a shield around their still forms to keep them safe from desecration.

Dean was scanning the struggle below when he noticed a new Unicorn come from behind a distant outcropping and head back toward them. The tiny rider was zapping minions left and right with what looked to be a control. He turned to ask AH-rii if that was what it was and –SHE WASN'T THERE!

"Bobby, where's AH-rii?" The sound of panic rising in his voice. At the sound of his brother's urgent tone Sam turned around too.

"Dean, we've got to stay put until she comes back with uniforms and better weapons than what you and I've got" Bobby answered.

"Come back? YOU LET HER GO OUT THERE??"

"She's more in her element now than we'd be." Was the calm answer that Bobby gave.

Sam turned back to the lone rider fighting against the tide of battle. "I think I see her."

At that Dean spun around and pressed his face against the crack he'd been looking out and sure enough the tiny rider was steering the Unicorn along the edges of the battle right toward them. Flashes from the control kept frying minions who got near. The giant Unicorn plunged its horn through any that the beam missed and with a snap of its head tossed the bodies off to the ground. In this way the rider and steed moved closer to their outcrop.

AH-rii made it back to their pillars and dashed up the winding path followed by a hovering pile of uniforms and gear. As soon as she entered the open space an enraged and fearful Dean rushed her and grabbed her by the arms. "Don't you EVER take off like that again" he yelled right in her determined up turned face.

She glared back at him but as she saw the raw worry that lay in the depths of his eyes, her scowl softened to a smile and she reached up placing her small hand upon his cheek. Dean's embrace tightened around her and he lifted her up to meet her lips with his. For a moment the sounds of battle faded from her ears and all her senses swam together; his strong arms, his warm body, the tang of his scent, the soft earnest pressure of his lips and the taste of his mouth…

"Ahemmmnn, cough, cough.." Sam smiled and shook his head.

"For cryin out loud you two!" An exasperated Bobby exclaimed, "We got a war goin on out there, you'd think you could try to focus?"

Dean brought his head up and slowly turned to them still holding AH-rii in his arms, "UH… I was focusing… if you don't mind?"

Dodging a scowl from Bobby Sam burst out laughing.

AH-rii's laughter joined Sams'. And Dean gave Bobby his patented "radiant" smile.

"Are you done?" Bobby smirked.

Sam raised his brows and hands saying, "I'm good."

Still smiling AH-rii looked up at Dean and said, "I'm good, are you good?"

Dean kept one arm around her and leered, "Darlin', I'm better than good."

It was her turn to smile as she pulled herself away from his embrace and faced Bobby. "I brought uniforms, some weapons and gear you might need. I suggest you each put on a uniform, the material is designed to adapt to your form, so you'll find them snug but not restricting, pick a weapon you feel most comfortable with and choose up what gear you want to carry."

The men each took a uniform and went behind different pillars to change. When they came out their appearance was markedly different. Sam seemed taller and more muscled as he moved around the room. He flexed his arms and legs and smiled at the lightness of the body armor on him. Dean was next to emerge and one look took AH-rii's breath away. The deep green of the war suit made his eyes a startling hue, his broad shoulders and the tight angles of his compact form now translated into no nonsense power. And Bobby's transformation was the most dramatic; the war suit seemed to have taken years off the older hunters form. Even the boys were speechless. In fact you might not have recognized him as Bobby at all, from a distance, if it were not for the grizzled beard and the baseball cap he still wore on his head.

"What?" He said to the silent stares.

Sam sputtered, "No, nothing… feels great huh? So light?"

Dean smiled at the trimmer figure of his old friend and said, "Looking good Bobby!" and slapped him on the shoulder.

Bobby, took his hat off and put it back on in a nervous gesture and said to AH-rii, "What 'ja git us for weapons?"

"Here, " AH-rii gestured. And spread upon the ground were a hand held control, a wrist control, a cross bow and arrows, several knives and a length of thick cord curled in a circle.

Bobby took the hand held control and strapped it to his suit and then he picked up the crossbow and ammo. It was compact in its design and he had been impressed, after seeing one in action, by the way it delivered a rapid-fire spray like a machine gun of arrows.

Dean strapped on the wrist control and put the assortment of knives in the many fasteners of his suit; then swung the loop of cord over his head and left shoulder so that lay across his chest like a bandlero. He liked having his hands free and lots of choices.

Sam had The Sword strapped in its sheath at his hip. He stood out and the sight of him made a little shiver run down AH-rii's spine. She knew just by looking at him that this day, this battle was the event for which he was born.

But then she looked down at their feet. Bobby's worn work boots, Sam brown runners, and Dean scuffed hiking boots made them look so human again. Definitely not your standard Fey combat issue foot gear. _"Oh, well"_ She thought with a little sigh. _"It will have to do."_

"What?" They said in unison at her sigh.

"Nothing…you look so good". A tone of sadness tinged her voice. She put her hand out before them in the same gesture any team might make before entering a game. Dean was first to place his hand upon hers. Then Sam put his large hand upon his brothers and Bobby laid his on top of Sam's. AH-rri felt so proud of them at this moment. And she said the oath before battle " The Fey welcome you into their ranks as soldiers for our Queen – may our efforts prevent Hells destruction of both our worlds."

Bobby said "Amen"

AH-rii added "Lets hope we can avoid as much direct conflict as we can while we make our way to the portal."

Sam frowned upon hearing this. "So that's your plan, keep to the edges and try not to engage the enemy?"

"Yes!" "You are the best of your world but none of you have been trained to fight in open battle, and none of you have ever been in a war between the Fey and all that the gates of Hell can pour out." AH-rii stepped forward to meet Sam's scowl with her own fierce determination. "My mission first and foremost has been to break the Deal and keep you safe. Those are my orders from Queen Mab herself and I cannot, will not disobey them!"

Dean was struck by the image they made. The ramrod straight back of the fairy as she stood up to the looming form of the Warrior his brother had become. Then they heard the urgent whinny of the Unicorn below and the sounds of fighting becoming louder, it was apparent that the battle was finding them.

Next-The Battle

Please Review


	15. Chapter 15The battle

Chapter 15a-The Battle- Dude, This Chick is so Not Tinkerbelle

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em. Wished ta 'ell I worked for Kripke

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Sorry for the long wait-Dean died. Went to Hell. nuf said? Between the Deal which prompted many angsty 'would change his fate if I could' stories it took a long time to exhale and get my head back into completing this-my first story posted on FanFiction. But it is done and the last chapter will be posted soon. Thank you all for your patience and to those who have been following this fic: ((((YOU)))) hugs to you all! So without further ado....

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Gathering their gear they left the relative safety of their fortress and followed AH-rii as she went over to the Unicorn. "This steed has never seen a human but will smell the scent of Fey off the uniforms and not shy from you like he would in your regular clothes. Go on touch him, tell him your names."

Bobby looked skeptical, "You want me to introduce my self to a horse?"

Dean had a look of fascinated awe on his face that he didn't even try to mask as he approached the magnificent animal before them. The Unicorn cast him an appraising eye as Dean reached out his hand to stroke its neck. "You're a ton of fun aren't you?" Dean said with a wide smile as he gently touched the beast. The hair on its hide was a mass of tiny soft knots and when the sleeve of his uniform caught on it he thought of Velcro_. HHhhmph no wonder the tiny riders can stay on with no hands or reins, this whole uniform is like a Velcro clasp_. "I can't believe I'm doing this, I'm Dean." He said and as he spoke his name the Unicorn tossed his head and whinnied in acknowledgement and Dean's eyes widened. He quickly looked back to Sam who then stepped up to stand beside him. Sam's dimpled smile spoke of shear delight as he looked first to Dean then to the fantasy come true before them. He reached out his hand and gently brushed it against the wispy mane saying, "Hi, I'm Sam." The Unicorn whinnied and tossed his head again.

"Bobby?" AH-rii said and she nodded toward the big animal.

Bobby reached up to his hat and readjusted it and shaking his own head looked into the Unicorns eyes saying, "The names Bobby Singer" At that the Unicorn nodded once and turned to face AH-rii.

Since AH-rii knew the way she chose to ride. Strategically, it made sense to have Sam and Bobby on foot because of the nature of their weapons, they needed the elbowroom to use them. Dean reluctantly road behind AH-rii on the back of the Unicorn. He hated not being at Sam's side but he could recon better from being up higher. He would direct fire from his wrist control to keep the path in front of them clear from approaching minions. And they all would focus on the Thorn bearers and try to take out as many as they came across while they made their way to the Portal.

As soon as they came out from behind the pillar fortress a band of minions rained a deadly hail of Thorns upon them. Bobby fired blast after blast at the ones bearing arms. Dean watched in horror from his high perch as he saw Thorns pepper the ground around Sam. The warrior seemed to ignore the threat as he swung the sword in arcs severing heads and limbs of the hideous fur balls. As the tone of Sam's sword sounded with every swing, Dean searched frantically for a way to stop the deadly rain that pelted them and then he saw that one of the minions carried a kind of backpack over to an archer. The archer reached inside and reloaded from pack upon the minions back. _That has to be the ammo bearer_ Dean realized and_ every Thorn contingent had an ammo bearer that carried packs of the rods and was always near by the archers so they could reload quickly_. He suddenly remembered what Sam told him about how the beam of the control could set off a Thorn and he had an idea. He shouted to Bobby and Sam "COVER!" and as they each dashed behind a pillar he fired a beam directly at the pack the bearer carried. The explosion blinded all that were near and nearly rocked the Unicorn off his feet. When the smoke cleared a small crater had been blasted into the floor of the cavern where the minion bearer once stood. And scattered about the ground were bits and pieces of what remained of the archers.

The Unicorn shook his head and shuddered along his body but stood his ground. Sam and Bobby came out from behind their pillars. Bobby stood a moment as he looked around he saw the carnage that had been caused by one well placed beam and said, "It's going to be a long afternoon boys" and adjusting his cap he looked up to Dean adding, "Good shot"

Dean didn't smile back. During a hunt Dean's face would become a mask of focus and determination and AH-rii was right, this wasn't like hunting. The things were everywhere and he knew his mind was going to have to be a lot nimbler to anticipate every attack.

They took advantage of the opening the blast created and moved quickly from pillar to pillar. Sam took point with his sword and continued to clear the path with his powerfully swung arcs. His expansive chest and bulging arm muscles stretched the fabric of the dark green uniform to its' limits with every mighty swing. The sound of the sword was enough to cause most minions to scramble away as if the purity of the tone alone repelled their evil nature. Sam had never felt like this before. From the very moment he had held the sword it felt so right. It was like the grip of his hands on the hilt had given him a sense of purpose; a focus and clarity to move with a speed and confidence he had only dreamed were possible. He brought the blade down and another minion fell. He spun and gutted one that had been approaching from behind. He just KNEW where the enemy was and automatically sliced through the air at exactly the right moment. He was full of a sense of duty. And the mantra that kept sounding in his head was 'Protect and Clear a Path, 'Protect and Clear a Path.'

Dean watched Sam wield his weapon fearlessly. He couldn't help but find himself staring open mouthed at times as he noted the change that had come over the younger hunter. Sam had always been the one to plan out every move, to take the side of caution in the hunt. But as he watched his brother swing the broad sword and listened to the perfect clean tone that spoke of purity and righteousness he felt awe_. "That sword, his moves, I've never seen him as fast and as direct in his attack…. He IS a warrior. Sammy, uh Sam, Gawd, you look like a legend!" _

They had covered almost two hundred yards sticking close to the pillars but when the stone formations thinned out and the caverns center space opened up the real battle zone was revealed.

The floor of the cavern was littered with the dead of both minion and Fey. The armies were clashed together in hand-to-hand combat. In these close circumstances Dean realized he dare not use the control because the energy from it could cause injury or death to any wounded Fey near the beam and might even explode the Thorns that were peppered in the ground around them.

AH-rii turned and pointed, shouting to Dean, "See there…. another fifty yards or so? That is the portal to the Everafter." Dean could make out a shimmering veil that obscured a section of the wall ahead of them.

As he cast his eyes around the battle scene for an opening he could tell Sam's relative position ahead and to the right without even looking by the deep reverberating tones of the blade he swung.

He could hear the staccato rhythm of the cross bow Bobby fired to his left and all around them the battle cries of the Fey and garbled screams of the hell born minions.

Suddenly the Unicorn stopped in its tracks and its ears perked up. AH-rii and the steed were staring in the same direction toward the portal and then Dean heard a new sound that rose above the battle.

A skirling wail of bagpipes which grew louder and louder. Its sound was both ancient and new. And a beautiful lady appeared through the portal sitting astride an elaborate high backed saddle on the biggest Unicorn Dean had yet seen. She was taller than the other warriors and wore the dark green uniform under a gown of silver chain mail. Power seemed to crackle around her. Her hair was long and wavy; the color of golden copper and it flew about her as if alive itself. Dean felt a mighty pull of enchantment as he beheld her. And he knew instinctively that she was as dangerous as she was beautiful.

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All the while the battle raged in the cavern, the Crossroads demon, bound within the containment circle, was using dark magic to turn the tide of war. The pain from her severed hands was fueling her hatred of all things Fey and Winchester. And she prepared to escalate her plans to conquer all of Earth and the Everafter into action now.

She had unleashed her minions first to meet the Fey army with battalions of Thorn archers but now she gathered her evil about her to call the Damned into battle. They were the tortured and the despaired that had lost the fight to retain their humanity and now were merely empty vessels. Empty nearly indestructible vessels waiting for their demon host to fill the void left inside.

And she would supply them with iron weapons fashioned in a special way to poison any Fey flesh it pierced. The poison was designed to shut down the healing power of Fey blood and cause the true age of the Fairy to rush upon them.

Since most of the Fey count their lives by decades instead of years; to be stabbed by such a weapon was a death sentence because the only cure lay in the magic of a healing spring deep in the Everafter. There the Fey would cleanse all the poison out and replenish the repairers that resided with in their blood. If a wounded Fey warrior made it to the spring the recuperation time would take years out of their service and it would be centuries before they could be posted outside the Everafter again.

But there would be no Everafter once the demons over-ran it, there would be no place for the Fey to tap into the ambient magic and heal. With every Fairy gone all power the magic held could be used by demons and there wouldn't be anything stopping them from their prize.

The face of the demon twisted into a grimace rage followed by her insane braying laughter as she extended her will out to Damned and called them from the Pit. They clawed and scrambled over each other to obey her orders. Her hatred and vicious delight in pain filled each one of them and they became an extension of her. And with that same maniacal bray of laughter she gave each one a poisoned blade and willed them to swarm the Hall of Pillars. This was her plan to use the Damned to destroy the Fey.

And so it was that a darkness darker than the inky black of her empty eyes propelled itself down the dimly lit tunnels and into the Hall of Pillars where it fractured into hundreds of the piteous zombie bodies of the damned.

As the damned spilled over the battlefield the Fey fell to the weapons that inflicted wounds that would not heal. Faced with this new threat they had no choice but to revert back to using their Controls; even if it meant risking exploding the Thorns around them. Only the beams of energy so opposite in nature to the damned could stop them. The wails of the lost began to mix with the power bursts from the controls and everywhere around them Thorns exploded.

Sam had just spun around from decapitating a minion when he came face to face with a cadaverous woman dressed in rags brandishing a wicked looking dagger. The black empty eyes that stared back at him belonged to a demon but her face looked familiar.

"Ava??!!!!" Gasped Sam, he stepped back and stumbled over the minion's body and sprawled to the ground. Ava, like Sam, had been one of the children that the Crossroad demon's uncle had infected with demon blood as part of his twisted plan to bring about the war. Sam had been strong enough to resist all the temptations the YED had thrown at him but as the candidates were eliminated one by one some like Ava had turned before they died. 'ThethingthatusedtobeAva' glared viciously at his prone form and screaming an unholy wail threw herself on top of him as she lunged to strike. At the same time Sam instinctively raised the hand that held the sword and tortured body of what once was Ava was thus impaled.

"NOOOOOooooooo!!!! Sam cried out, as the demons fierce face grew slack. Its body began to wither and turn to dust but just before her earthly remains blew away completely the two black voids that stared at him turned back to Ava's and she looked at him with grateful sorrow in her eyes then the wind snatched her from his pleading gaze.

Ignoring the battle that raged around him, Sam rose to one knee; stabbed the tip of the sword into the ground and pressed his forehead to the cross that formed the hilt. His face a grimace of remorse and grief he recited a Latin blessing of mercy for what ever shred of soul that might have remained and was now released as he winced back tears for the passing of his friend.

"SAM!" Bobby yelled as two of the damned began to drag the older hunter away. One of them cracked his head a glancing blow from a medieval looking weapon as he struggled to get free.

Dean heard Bobby yell and turned around in time to see him in the clutches of two Zombie like creatures and Sam sprinting over to the rescue. Aiming his wrist control carefully he waited for a clear shot and fired at the head of one of the damned. The thing instantly vaporized and Bobby swung a hard right to the jaw of the other one that still held him; it staggered but did not fall. That's when Sam caught up to them and pierced its side with a mighty lunge. It wailed and began to disintegrate and then just disappeared.

Bobby was bleeding. The blow to his head had given him a couple of graze wounds at the hairline over his forehead and like all head wounds they bled profusely. Sam had picked up his cap and pressed it into his hands and glanced up at Dean. One look at the blood and Dean shouted down from the Unicorns back that he and the older hunter should swap places.

"I'm fine," Bobby insisted and turning to Sam he said, "Just help me find my crossbow and we'll keep going, we're only a few yards away from the dam portal anyway."

AH-rii interrupted the debate by shouting, "Bobby, you're wounded and you'll be a target on the ground but up here you can still help recon the safest path to the Everafter, now get to that out crop of pillars and Dean and you will swap!"

With some grumbling but knowing she was right Bobby allowed Sam to help him over to a stepped pillar where it would be easy for him to climb up onto the Unicorns back. Dean did a quick field dressing of gauze to staunch the worst of the bleeding from a supply in the uniforms pocket and then Bobby eased himself onto the back of the mighty steed.

As Dean was about to climb back down he caught a glimpse of movement from a pillar across from them. One of the damned had climbed up there and was lining up to drop down upon the Unicorn with the beautiful lady on it.

Without a second thought Dean took the rope he'd slung over his shoulder and tied one end fast to a projection of stone. Then he made a hoop on the other end. Swinging the hoop like a lariat over his head a few times he lined up his throw as he watched the evil possessed puppet leap down to land behind the beautiful lady and draw its weapon. Dean tossed the loop like a cowboy roping a steer and it landed around the wretched Zombie then he pulled it with all his might. The thing was dragged off the Unicorn's back. The Lady, with a battle deadly glare on her face, spun her steed around in time to see one of the snarling damned dangling from the pillar behind her and a human in Fey uniform give her a thumbs up and 'ok' gesture.

The Lady's glare softened as she raised her eyebrow.

The sounds of the battle grew distant….. it was as if time slowed.

The lady steered her unicorn up to the hanging hell spawn and said in a cool voice full of distaste "You have won my attention demon; many that have lived to regret that."

The wasted withered husk that had once been human writhed against its bonds and spat back its reply in the Crossroads demons voice " My troops will sear their mark upon this land and soon the Everafter will fall and be reclaimed by the rightful heirs of the Kingdom." And she cackled in that skin crawling tone of laughter.

But the lady was not moved.

"Did you think I would not notice when your kind breached the gate and sought to wreck your filth and destruction on neutral lands? Or mind when _even one_ soul under my protection was stolen?" The lady reigned her steed and it reared back pawing its huge hooves in the air before the captive demon. "You venomous upstart! Azazul always was one for heinous treachery but your puny army of wasted souls and demon half lings are still no match for the magic of the old gods- especially in our own lands-THIS WAR ENDS NOW! And the Unicorns front feet landed back down with earthshaking jolts.

The lady began to glow and she spread her arms wide and brought her hands together in a thunderous clap. Out of the thunder grew sound of bagpipes and the tune was wilder and older. The air became thick with the scent of wild flowers and spice, which drove the fetid smells of battle and death away.

And then sudden darkness fell. It was as if all light was just gone. Dean's eyes went wide and he felt dizzy as he stood upon the pillar. It felt like the earth had just dropped beneath his feet. He called out. "SAM!" But could not even hear his own voice, it was like being inside a vacuum.

In the next instant an explosion of light and sound blinded his eyes. He blinked back the dimming brightness to see that the Hall of Pillars was cleared of any trace of battle. There were no dead or wounded on the ground of either race. The Thorns that had stuck out from the cavern floor like stems of beheaded flowers were gone. The hoop that had held the demons wretched zombie was swaying empty. Sam, shielding his eyes with his free hand was looking up to him from the ground below. And Bobby sat by himself on the broad back of the Unicorn. But AH-rii was not longer there!

Next: The Spoils

Please review


	16. Chapter 16The Spoils

Chapter 16-The Spoils- Dude, this chick is so not Tinkerbelle.

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em, wish ta hell I worked for Kripke

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The small fairy was kneeling on the ground before the beautiful lady astride the Unicorn, her head bowed and Dean heard her she speak with great reverence to the lady who held them all spellbound.

"Your Majesty, blessings upon you and good fortune that you got the message my heart sent to you in time"

Sam walked up to AH-rri's kneeling form as he stared at the enchanting woman with the stern face. Dean looked down from the pillar confused. What just happened? As Bobby sat on the back of the Unicorn; he felt the big steed shudder like a scold and thought, _"Could this be Her?"_ and slowly removed his cap out of respect.

The Lady spoke and her voice was full of melody and ancient power. "AH-rii of the Fey, are these the human charges you were ordered to protect?"

AH-rii never lifted her face but spoke loudly to the ground. "They are, Your Majesty."

"And you deem a battle ground to be the most prudent route?"

AH-rii winced at the gentle but evident rebuke. "It was an unexpected encounter on our route to the Portal"

The Lady's face softened and she said, " It is fortunate that they have proved to be battle worthy", AH-rii's steed whinnied softly and The Lady's mount answered back. "Now rise and introduce them to me."

"As you wish, Your Majesty" said AH-rii and stood up to face her Queen.

Dean had seen AH-rii bow before the Lady on the huge Unicorn and scrambled down the pillar to be beside her and his brother just in case there was trouble.

The Lady looked to Sam and AH-rii nodded to him, he looked back up at Bobby then took a step forward and bowing his head ever so slightly as AH-rii said, "Your Majesty, it is my pleasure to have you meet Samuel Winchester, the man who saved my life."

The Lady looked pleased.

"Your Majesty." He said.

"You wield the sword true young warrior, it chose you well." And she smiled a small smile at him. Sam looked down and blushed and when he looked back up his grin and dimples were in full display." "It's, uh, Sam you can call me Sam Your Majesty."

She then looked over to the wounded man on the unicorn next to her. AH-rii went over and touched his leg and said, "It is with deep respect I introduce you to the man who saved your Charges life."

Bobby kept his hat in his hands and nodded back, "Names Bobby Singer Ma'am"

The Lady gave him a warm smile and said, "I owe you a debt of gratitude for preserving the life of one under my protection when I have finished with my duties here we will need to settle up."

And Bobby nodded back with a twinkle in his eye.

Dean rounded the corner and stopped short before the Beautiful Lady. For once in his life he was speechless. AH-rii walked up to him and putting her arm around his waist walked with him till he was standing beside Sam.

Never taking her arm from his waist AH-rii smiled up at her Queen and said, "My Queen, It is with love in my heart that I respectfully introduce you to your Charge, Mary Winchester's son Dean."

In a breach of etiquette Dean did not take his arm away from Ah-rii's waist as he nodded his head to the beautiful Lady on the Unicorn. He smiled and said, "My mom used to tell me stories about you Queen Mab, I'm mighty pleased to meet you for real."

Mab looked down upon the face of the hansom human wearing a Fey uniform and saw by the tilt in his jaw that he was appraising her too.

"Dean Winchester, Son of Mary, you became a charge of the realm by proxy when you were still inside the womb, an unusual circumstance but not unheard of. It was to satisfy a gees that this boon was allowed. But it was short sighted. The Fey do not bind themselves to human kind lightly and the circumstances around this event should have foreseen more than one soul only. For this oversight I am much aggrieved."

Dean's smile faltered and his brows knit '_Was the Queen of the fairies apologizing to him?' _

Then she straightened up on her mount and said, "But before I am free to bestow my gratitude I must make sure the root cause of this battle is taken care of." She made a circling motion with her arm and said, "Gather near my steed and I will put and end to this uprising once and for all."

AH-rii's mount with Bobby upon its back was side by side with the Queen's steed while Dean, AH-rii and Sam stood close to them. The Queen made one small gesture of her hand and suddenly the group was outside the torture chamber where they had left the Crossroads demon trapped inside the circle.

In the next instant the Lady stood beside them and with a small nod to AH-rii they entered the chamber as a group. There still bound within the circle of energy was the stooped over form of the demon who had planned to take on Heaven. It cringed when it saw the Lady approach hissing, "Maaab!" and it spit upon the ground.

Mab looked on it with distain and said, "Your foulness has not improved with time I see."

"And your smugness has not changed" It croaked back in response. "But we surprised you this time" and it brayed with laughter. "No battle is ever over until the last man falls and I will take one more."

Suddenly a knife sprang from the wall behind them and flew straight at the Queen. There was a blur of movement and the sickening sound of flesh punctured, then a thud and AH-rii lay sprawled upon the ground at the Queens feet.

"SHIT NO...AH-rii!" Yelled Dean and he ran over and stooped beside her cradling her head on his knees. Bobby joined him in a huddle to protect the fallen fairy and Sam drew the sword; the sound of its chime caused the demon to quake and back as far as it could away from the shining blade.

The Queen made a gesture and all the weapons on the walls disappeared. And the then she stepped up to the shimmering edge barely contained rage set upon her beautiful features. "For crimes in violation of the accords set forth from the Beginning I charge you demon, spawn of the foulness of Azazul with trespass into neutral lands having the express intent to make war and with the attempt to possess and steal away a soul under the direct protection of the Fey Court. Any one of these crimes would be punishable by eternal death but because eternity is not long enough to amend the damage you have caused I banish you to the farthest reaches and condemn you to live your moment of destruction forever!"

The look of wretched fear upon the demons face was shattered by its scream as a blinding light filled the chamber and in a blink the Crossroads demon was gone.

The Queen immediately turned to her fallen warrior, compassion and sadness upon her face. Bobby moved aside so that she could kneel down beside Dean as he gently stroked AH-rii's face. It was her face that told the story of the poison that had been meant for the Queen. AH-rii's once youthful shining skin had lost its glow and beside her eyes and at the corner's of her mouth wrinkles appeared and seemed to be slowly multiplying. She looked up into Dean's worried eyes as a fat slow tear formed in one of hers and slid slowly down her cheek. Dean gently brushed away the tear and softly said, 'We'll fix you up, you'll see" his voice faltered as he added, "A couple of weeks and you'll be good as new." But he could taste the lie in his own words. _How could this be happening, the war was over, it was over!!!..." _But his anger was interrupted as the Queen gently touched his hand and said, "Let me tend the wound" And he let his hands fall from AH-rii's face.

The Queen placed her hands above AH-rii and she slowly levitated up from Dean's knees. As the prone warriors body rose ever so slowly the blade protruding from her back was revealed. With small movements of encouragement near the blade from the Queen hands, the knife eased itself out from the wound and fell upon the ground. AH-rii moaned softly upon its removal and closed her eyes. Dean, Bobby and Sam watched eyes wide with amazement and concern as the Queen placed her hands on the wound and began singing a low toned chant that seemed to vibrate in their bones. It was both urgent and soothing and lulled them all as they fell under its captivating spell.

Dean felt rather than saw AH-rii's head back in his lap. And as he shook himself back awake with the others the Queen spoke of the illness infecting their friend.

"I'm afraid that is all I can do for her here. I must bring her to a healing pool deep in the Everafter and quickly; the poison will continue to destroy the components in her blood that constantly repair against injury and aging and if left untreated her years will catch up to her and she will age and die in a matter of days.

Dean's eyes flooded with tears and he buried his pain grimaced face over hers. "Don't go, don't you leave me!" His hands fumbled as he held on to her. Sam stepped up behind him and gently placed his hand on Dean's bowed back. He'd seen the bond between them growing but didn't realize how deep it had gone until he saw his hero so broken at her loss.

Bobby looked to the Queen and said, "There's nothing else you can do?"

The sadness on the Queen's face spoke volumes of regret and she said, "I have bought her time to say good bye but that is all." And she nodded at the grieving couple at her feet.

AH-rii roused by the spell of healing the Queen had given her but still weakened by the poison in her system spoke up, "But first I must complete the mission and see that your charge and his brother and friend are safely home your Majesty." And looking into Dean's tear filled eyes she softly said, "Please.....let me...do this, help me stand?"

Dean blinked back his own raw sadness and saw the resolve in her eyes; it was the same look he knew he wore when reaching deep down for strength to get Sam and himself through a hunt gone bad. He paused, then touched her soft cheek with his hand and said, "You don't hafta do this, you should just go....be safe. Sam n' me and Bobby, we can find our way out don't waist the time on....."

But she smiled up at him and reached up to put a finger to his lips to still them. "My mission is not compete do you want me to look bad in front of my boss?" Dean smiled a weak smile and rolled his eyes in mock exasperation, "You are a stubborn one ya know that?" As he gently gripped her and held her as she rose to stand.

They went back to their waiting mounts. AH-rii's unicorn stamped his hooves and whinnied with worry when he saw his rider leaning heavily on the human at her side and he kneeled down to allow AH-rii to be placed on his back. The Queen instructed them to once again stand close and moved her hands in graceful arcs. The dark tunnel blurred and suddenly they were surrounded by light. When the world stopped spinning they found themselves outside in Bobby's salvage yard not too far from the hole in the ground left from the collapsed tunnel.

"Well, I'll be!!!?" Bobby said in amazement as he looked around to be sure.

Sam's eyes hadn't adjusted from the gloom of the tunnel yet and he squinted up to the lovely Lady and said, "Thank-you your Majesty."

She bowed her head slightly back at him. Then her eyes were drawn to the motions of her Charge who was leading AH-rii's mount behind a stack of crushed cars and out of eyesight for their private good bye. The Queen smiled a secret smile as she turned to address Bobby regarding her thanks to him.

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Dean brought the unicorn over to an assemblage of salvage from Bobby's yard that would bring him equal to AH-rii's height upon the steed. The mount stood still and allowed Dean to step up beside them and enfold his arms around the small woman.

Dean held her and she wrapped her arms around him. They tenderly touched foreheads for a moment then Dean kissed AH-rii and moved his lips from hers to her cheek and then whispered in her ear, "We never...I uh... I wanted.....to....I don't even know if we could..." And he felt her giggle in his arms as she turned to look into his oh so beautiful eyes. Tipping her head so that her lips were near his ear she said softly, "Remember what I said about fairies and humans being like Lions and Tigers? We could have.... but the war...my mission was saving you...and that was more important." She pulled back smiling her eyes twinkling in a teasing manner, " Besides a good warrior does not get emotionally involved with...." Dean moved to protest and then her smile faltered, so she touched his lips with one small finger. They looked longingly into each other's eyes for a second then she was honest once more, " But you Dean Winchester could melt the resolve of the most stalwart of warriors and I am not ashamed to say that in the short time I've known you, you've won my heart." He smiled against her finger then kissed it tenderly and gently moving both hands up to frame her face in them, he kissed her deeply relishing the little sigh that escaped her as his own groan of passion joined it.

"Will I ever see you again?" his voice sounded raw and needy even to his own ears but he didn't care.

"Time passes differently in the Everafter, Dean." She answered with regret in her voice. "The few years it will take for me to heal there will be several decades here." And pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling she dropped her eyes from his.

Being a hunter you never knew if the next day could be your last so whether or not you'd even be alive for a thirty year reunion made the realization hit Dean hard as he understood this could be their last goodbye. And as much as the thought of never seeing her again cut through him like one of his sharp silver blades, seeing her fighting to hold back the tears for his sake pained him more.

"Shhhe....Shhhhh," he said as he caught one tear beginning to fall from her closed eyes with the edge of his thumb. "We're both hunters here you know if there is a way I'll find it." And he wrapped his arms around her drawing her close as her shoulders shook from silent sobs. He kissed the top of her head and said, "A couple of weeks ago I'd have sworn your people didn't exist, that...that unicorns were never real" The steed whinnied a protest and Dean addressed him by saying, "Well I was wrong." The unicorn snorted once to agree. And AH-rii chuckled a little without looking up. Dean continued, "I just found you, I just found out that all this IS real!" AH-rii looked up again into the green eyes that had won her love and Dean took her chin in his and said with mock authority, "This isn't over little lady, if there's a way I'll find it, you can count on it."

AH-rii smiled once more and reached up to touch his cheek with her small hand, "I'm sure you will Dean." And Dean let her loose from his arms and climbed back down to lead them back to the Queen and Sam and Bobby.

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They rounded the corner in time to hear Mab say, "So for preserving the life of my charge and to acknowledge the years you've spent learning to help save your people from evil in all its forms I grant thee stewardship to these below ground lands that brush the Everafter. Which means you may grant passage to the portal for whomever you deem the journey to us is truly necessary. And it holds the duel responsibility of receiving emissaries from the Fey should they need to pass into your lands as well. Do you accept this honor and post Robert Singer?

Bobby looked nervously around him for a moment. "Uh, yes ma'me I do." She reached around her neck and brought forth a silver chain with a pendant on it and passed it down to him. Bobby took the necklace and saw that it had an ancient design on it one he read about somewhere. His eyes flew open wide as he recognized the charm. And he looked up to her smiling down on him with openmouthed amazement. "I see you recognize the key of scrolls." She said. He could only bob his head, too many words crashed inside his throat and jammed there. Mab's smile widened and her eyes twinkled as a wave of glamour washed over them. It passed in an instant but left them all reeling. "As payment for your alliance and gratitude for keeping safe the life of my Charge I decree that if you ever need help with researching something you have but to ask and the key to our vast library and all the scholars there will be at your disposal.... for life."

Bobby ceremoniously put the chain around his neck and found his voice at last, "Thank you Mab, Queen of the Fey for your most auspicious gift."

Mab beamed a smile back and turned her head to face Dean. The Beautiful Lady's voice filled the air around them as she spoke, "Both you and your brother put your lives at risk fighting side by side with the Fey this day and that along with the gees our people owe you make that which I am to propose to you a very rare thing. But one that I believe you will agree to be of great value in its scope. I am granting you Dean Winchester honorary citizenship as a member of the Fey and that means you may pass freely into our lands unhindered by conventions of time and space."

Dean's eyes widened as he heard AH-rii bark a laugh in her surprise. And he beamed his own smile back at her and the Lady on the huge mount before him. "Does this mean I can walk through that portal and visit anytime I want?"

"Any time," The Queen answered. "But more than that this honorary citizenship status that you hold will make it possible for you to suspend the passing of your years for however long you are our guest in the Everafter. Dean looked up at AH-rii and her smile as she looked down upon him was radiant. "Thanks for that" Dean said, "It means more to me than I can say..." And he let reached up his hand to grab AH-rii by the boot and wiggled it slightly smiling back at her with his own radiant grin.

"And now to you Samuel Winchester." The Queens tone had suddenly grown serious. Being that the Sword hath chosen you and you wield it well and with honor. And being that you are the brother of one of my Charges it is time that I right the error of omission that had been done to you by the Fey's short sightedness. I grant you the same honoree citizenship that I bestowed upon your brother, and without the lien of Charge to me. But I ask you if you would grant me a boon?"

Looking confused Sam sputtered, "What? Um...yeah sure...?"

"As the wielder of the sword my I request your services to use it in defense of my realm should another threat as just averted come to pass while you are still it's chosen?"

Sam smiled warmly back his dimples bedazzling his face and said, "It would be my honor your Majesty for as long as I hold the blade, just get in touch with Bobby and I'll come when you need me."

Dean spoke up suddenly, "Uh, Your Majesty.. could Sam have that time stops still while he's helping you thing you granted me?"

AH-rii's eyes flew wide at his presumption to request more, "Dean!" she whispered.

He looked up at her an shrugged his shoulders, "What, he's my brother."

The Queen of all the fairies smirked and cleared her throat letting a moment of silence pass. "I don't see why not?" She smiled and said. Then she struck a more regal pose and finalized their departure by saying. I will send word when AH-rii is well enough to receive visitors and then I would like to have you all as my guests. Till then be well and with one swooping gesture they were gone.

Bobby, Dean and Sam stood there blinking. Then Bobby coughed and said, " I better tell my contacts that the good guys won." and moved toward the house. Dean and Sam began to follow and he could hear the boys muttering behind him. Sam taunted Dean with, "I told you Unicorns were real." And Dean snarked back with, "Yeah, well be careful where you step or you'll get magical horse dookey all over your favorite sneaks Sir Whinesalot."

The end.

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Above all the cries of anguish and hate in the battle that surrounded them the music that filled the cavern spoke of life triumphing over death, hope over despair, harmony winning over chaos and to Deans ears is sounded like good ol'Rock and Roll.


End file.
